Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-04-12
More Light Wanted.


Wanted the results of feeding stock
through the winter on onsilage and nothing
Csc. Those farmers who have kept any
or all kinds OF stock in this way will con.
fer n great favor on many readers OF the
Neso ERglGad Farmer by giving their own
views drawn from their experience, and
one at least of those readers will thank
them for full and candid statement, es.
pecially their report Is unfavorable. We
have heard too much on one side of the
ensilage question. if there is any other
side 10 be presented. If any man has
failed of success in feeding ensilage. let us
all have the benefit of the failure. We
read this and that mans trial of ensilage
and that his stock do wonders when fed
with it and so much grain feed. MIR. Mil.
Ter claimed to prove that COWS when dry
wintered well (and we know farmers who
tried this method with success), when fed
nothing but four quarts Of meal per day,
which is about the amount of grain these
e1silage feeders average 10 give whose
reports we read in the papers.
Perhaps Mr.. Morton can give the inform.
alton wanted, and Mr.. Hazen of Norwich
can give bis testimony that will help the
many who are Just on the point of deciding
whether to build silos the coming year oil
not. There comes flying report Of the
death of several horses in Woodstock by
starvation, having been fed ensilage alone
If there is truth in the rumor, or if any
one has had bad results from the practice
let us know it, From personal observation
of stock fed by others, with no other feed
than ensilage and an occasional ration Of
straw, my own impression is favorable to
the silo, and having all the advantages OIL
an upper driveway In the roof of my barn
(without which | regard no barn to be
lairly tolerable however extensively ii
may be fitted upl, by which all the OK.
pense of getting the ensilage, after cutting
into silo 90 feet deep would be saved.
have prepared the material for building
one the coming season. Some half a dozen
farmers near by are abont in the same
condition and are anxiously casting about
TO know the outs as well rs the ms of en-
silagc feeding. lfany reader Of the Farmer
has knowledge Of the reported case at
Woodstock, or any bad results of ensilage
feeding, or single instance where sen.
Sible farmer has abandoned silo after a
fair trial he will please report to the Farm.
or.-G. r. Mating, in Ne'c England Farm.
or.
We hardly think the direction of fliend
Nutting's inquiry is likely TO be any more
profitable than would be that whether
man could live on beef or potatoes alone
1t seems to us that the most profitable line
Of investigation is whether it is of real
value for feed in any way, whether it can
be raised and fed with profit under any
circumstances
Corn or cotton seed meal can hardly be
said to be profitable feeds when used alone,
but this fact by no means detracts from
their value. Mr.. Hazcn saysas we printed
months ago, that he thought its greatest
value would be found in feeding with 9TH
or foods. OF the starved horses at Wood
sock, they had been fed ensilagc only
nine days, and to use Capt. French's own
words were hog fat when they died.
In our opinion the "outs" of ensilage
are to be found in the extravagant est.
mates given by some of its more enthusi.
astic champions of how much can be
raised per acre, and how little will keep a
COW, aud how well. At present we think
the weight Of testimony in favor of ensil.
hge,on the whole, but wo doubt if its more
enthusiastic advocates arc not disappoint-
c'l in some of their expectations.