The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-06-16
What Some Vermont Farmers Think Of
EusiIagp

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built his first silo last summer, using
the end seclivn Of the bay IN his barn
for that purpose. lie strengthened II
by putting in tight-inch girths four
feet apart, and then studding with
plank Two by eight inches. The sio
was double boarded outside and in, with
paper between the boards, the space
between being filled with sawdust.
This was efficient for keeping ont
both air and ,rost. The dimensions of
the silo were as follows: Ten feet ia
breadth by Twelve in width, and TWEEN
ty-four feet deep extending from the
basement to the caves Of the barn, with
door on the first floor fro II which to
feed, aud another towards the top for
shoveling In the corn after being cut.
Its capacity. was sixty tons. MIR.
Pierce planted two acres of land with
he southern white corn; planted il,
hills about foot apart, manuring in
the hill one acre with phosphate and
| the other with hen manure, AMI raised
nearly sixty tons of corn upon tho two
acres. September /, he commenced
filling the silo. lie employed two men
in cutting in the field, one drawing,
two cutting up in the barn and two
treading it down, and the work was
completed in two days. The corn was
cut mp in three-eighths inch length
and when all In there was put upon the
top eight inches in depth of straw,
then covered with plank and pressed
by means of q jack-screw. December
the silo was opened, and the ensilage
was found TO be in fine condition. Mr..
Pierce had twenty-cight head of cattle,
and eighteen of these, including ton
COWS, nc fed two iativns day OF Uusi-
lage and one OF hay. When feeding
his cows, he calculated to give in the
two rations of ensilago forty.nve
pounds, and in the fJdderiDg of hay,
eight pounds, with three quarts Of
shorts q day. lie fed out the last of
the ensilagc in the first of March. In
summing up the results OF feeding ensi-
lsge, this practical and enterprising far
mcr states al am more than satisfied
with the labor bestowed upon '.s:lagc.
My cattle ate it readily, increased In
flesh upon it, and have the look Of
health about them tar beyond those
that were not fed upon it. After one
weeks feeding the cows increased
their flow of milk as if it were in sum
mer time. Artificial colorng for but.
ter was no longer needful, for the milk
had that desirable element in itself.
Since have stopped feeding ensilage,
my cows have shrunk in milk to The
quantity given before feeding it. Eli
silage is cheap fodder, too, costing me
81 Al per ton. kcPu au root aoanunt
of raising and ensilaging, hence make
my statements upon an actual basis OF
facts. This season shall put ia anoth-
CT section of bay, which will give me
two silos, and | shall fill them from
eight acres of corn"
Cook & Wiley, milkmen, of ST.
Johnsbury Center, says: ave IRE
ready to give in onr testimony in favor
of the silo. Our first attempt was last
year. We constructed silo in our
barn twelve feet square and fifteen
feet deep, a portion oft extending into
the ground. May % we planted three
fourIhs of all acre with Sanford corn for
soiling. Soon after the silo mania
took possession of us, and we put it,
the above mentioned soil, and June ! :
planted another three-fourths of au acre
with western corn. The growth wai
heavy and we received 20 1.2 ton.
| Wncu CuolidSCus VC Cu0 tlC COtN uut
put it into the soil, Ithe first week IL
September, and on the 2Slh of Octo
Der, opened it and found the ensilagt
in good condition. When fed to th,
stock, all, with the exception of two Of
three, and they, too, within few days
to ood h'a ID q" Gle as u TSEa thS Res s5@
gained in milk 1-2 qnarts a day
The milk was excellent in quality ant
We never made better butter. Som'
young stock that came to the barn THU
in flesh were fed upon ensllage and
little hay. They did remarkably well
in fact, we could not ask for better re
suits from any system of feeding
When feeding cows we gave them thir
iy-three pounds of ensilage day, an'
| ~ pounds of corn meal; they Iii,
well upon this amount Of food Ia fact
all our stock look well. Their hair l
glossy and they look bright an,
healthy. Our Young stock would e
ont of the stable full of life and vigor i
the coolest day in winter. 1t was tn
result of ensilagc. We hardly dare T.
tell the whole truth in regard to il
good qualities lest the public shoul
think us over sanguine. Yet we wi
freely state that we believe Iensilage
just what is wanted by the farmer G
moderate means. The cost OF raisim
and ensilaging was So ton. w
shall put in all We can this year. A