The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-09-14
Farm and Home.
sILos AND ENsILAaE.
Origin and Preparation Of a Novelty
II Cattle Food.

This subject is being agitated
largely in the farming districts, and
bids fair to quite revolutionize the
agriculture of the present. If it
can be made possible to keep green
food sweet and wholesome for cat
tie all through the winter season it
will greatly add to the products of
the dairy and indirectly to the
whole farm. The new process will
be specially valuable to the farmers
of New England, as many of these
occupy rocky little pieces of land
and have to utilize all their re
sources IN order to make "bOth
ends meet" In the address deliv-
cred by Mr.. G. w. Mills of New Jer-
sey before a recent farmers insti
tute held at Grafton, many valua-
BILE hints were given that deserve to
be more widely known. Mr.. Mills
is the originator of the process, and
it suggested itself to him in a
strange way. He spent his boy
hood on the farm, but arriving at
manhood, engaged in business after
Studying at university with no in
terest in farming, until 1875, when
he bought farm in New Jersey.
1t is a suggestive fact that the first
year his farm cost $4,000 more
than the income; the second year it
cost $1,000, the third year it paid,
and now the 300 acres "pay all ex-
penses," support: the family, keeps
four children at school in Europe
and his wife, always has a little
money for him when he gets short.
Mr.. Mills seeing the need of a diff
ferent quality of corn, attempted to
hybridize the local with the heavy
southern variety of corn. The ma
tive crop ripened, but frost came to
find the new variety still green. 1t
was like forest Of young saplings
in October. The neighbors laugh
ingly called it ''two-year-old-corn,"
and inquired if he should harvest
it next year. His wife said, "Pd
get it out of sight if 1 had to bury
it." This remark gave him an
idea, and the result of the thinking
that followed is the silo, which
Mr.. Mills seems to have perfected.
NJ. Goffart, the French authority
on it obtained the idea of preserving
green food from letter by one of
Mr.. Mills New Jersey friends and
Mr.. Bailey took his methods from
the Goffart book. 1t is of the
greatest Importance that the corn
be of one variety that it may ma
ture at one time. AS is known a
perennial plant is sweet and nutri
tious from the moment it appears
above the earth, while an animal IS
until it reaches matu-
rity. The time to harvest the corn
is when it is fully tasselled. 1t
should be cut in the quickest posi-
BILE time, with the least possible
misunderstanding it down is the
worst practice-into pieces two
inches long and packed closely in
5he silo and then pressed evenly. |
Bags of grain or boxes of sand will
furnish the most even pressure and
s best. The only necessary thin G
o be observed is the following: 1t
S necessary to put the mass in a
light enclosure, and after it is pre- |
pared the lumber about the sides
nay be taken down if need for any
,ther purpose. 1t will not be affec
ed by frost, and depends upon the
lose packing and uniform pres
ure. If properly prepared the dis
Lgreeable acidity will not appear.
t should not pass the tactical
tate. Many farmers who have at
empted it have been feeding the
odder in an alcoholic state. Mr..
Mills states that a bushel of seven
months ensilage is better than two
bushels ten months old, or five
bushels of the same as it is taken
rom the field. Mr.. Mills kept on
lis farm last winter 40 cattle and
welve horses for seven months ON
he sproduct of thirteen acres of
ground, less than half the feed nee
,ssary with dry food. He is doing
wen more this winter, but mixes
laily four quarts of middlings for
ZACH animal He cuts over fifty
,ons to the acre and some acres had
seventy tons. His fodder cost less
han eighty cents per ton in the silo
lie sows his seed about eight
bushels to the acre. He harvests
he corn.in drizzly or dry weather,
another advantage over hay. With
800 pounds to the square foot no
water will gather ut the bottom of
he pile if there is no crushing.
Fhe pressure drives out the air; no
takes place, but a
change takes place. Like
wine, it cannot fsrment, but a
change occurs, and when that is
over the wine will keep for years
change; so with ensilage.
Cement floors are stlperfuous. The
mass should be air-tight, irrespec
tice of its receptacle. Cows are in
this way kept at a cost of from ten
to twelve cents 4 day. More milk
is produced and of better quality.
No flavor of the ensilage can be de
tected in tho milk or butter