The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-15

|. Our anusion to Mr.. G.rets's barn was
based on the remark Of . member of the
New York Ensilage Congress; but the
following is more satisfactory:
ENFIELD, N. q. March 8.
A neighbour, who subscFibes TO the
Farmer and Mechanic, noticed your ar
ticle headed winter Ferage" in issue
ofFeb 10th and suppoeinx the Halifax
County Farmer" mensionEd alluded to
me, handed meSthe paper. Presuming
l am the party alluded to, / desire to
feorrect the erroneous Suspicion
which you gay ''seems verified" by me.
You say ''our suspicion that si7os
would hardly answer In the warm. moist
soils of Eastern Carolina seems verified
BY the experience of an Halifhx county
farmer, whose name &c. &C., but it will
suffice to say that the farmer In question
has tried ensilaee for several years, and
after trial found that the underground
pits were not so useful nor oonvenient
as q tightly closed room in his barn.
This is in accord with our own rev"
My experience with silos and ousilages
does not, as quoted above, svefif1" the
views expressed, butts lust .s,e oppo-
have no room ia my barn for ensi-
lage and my pits underground served the
purpose admirably. The facts are these:
10 the summer of 1880 I built two silos.
OF cement aad stone underground hold
ing about 30 tons each. They were 50.
Quilt because all authority up to that
time 50 recommended. They were ex-
pensive butt wished not to fail; filled
them with green corn and ~peavines in
the fall. The ensilage was well preserv-
ed and all was fed to my stock, mules,
horses and COWS, during the winter of
80 81. About the first of June 1881,
| filled them with green rye, which con-
stituted almost my entire feed for the
summer of 81. Wishing more capacity
for ensilage, In the summer of 81 l
built two other silos above ground of
IS tons each. These l filled with green
corn and peavines, mostly the latter, in
the fall of'8l, and upon this ensilage l
have been feeding extensively the past
winter. My stock is in better condition
than when fed on hay. The silos I'M
foreground cost me to build about 81. 90
per ton, those above about Is cents per
ton. The eDsilage kept as we'll In those
above as below the ground. The hand
ling of ensilage is easy enough provided
it is done right. | pity the farmer who
starts with large hogsheads and boxes.
these to hold such quantity to be of much
benefits. would be much more expensive
than the silos, while success would be
very doubtful.
l trust you will publish enough of this
article to correct the erroneous impress
sions purperting to come from a Halifax
county farmer, who has had some ex-
perience In ensilage and silos and who
would like to have his brother farmers
all over North Carolina try them and
stop paying $50 per ton for Northern
hay, as many Of his neighbors are doing
at the present time, and as l had to do
before trying them.
I have seenthe report of the ensilage
congressnecently held in the city Of New
York. and attended the American Agri.
Iculral Convention also held there, and
have seen or heard of no party who has
tried them but is pleased, Great bene-
fit has accrued to all by their use.
Pardon SO much writing, l could not
well say less. Yours resp'y.