The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1882-02-03
VOL. XXVI---NO. 5.
Ear1,lers' Column.
Speed the PIOsU."
Ensilage.

Several hundred farmers and others met in
New York city, last week to compare notes
and give their experience about ensilage,
which is the method of preserving green
crops in pits called silos. 1t was first prac-
ticed in France by Auguste Goffart, in 1873.
The first to try it on large scale in this
country were Hon. Orlando B. Potter of
New York, in 1875, and Francis Morris, of
Maryland, in 1877. A number of specimens
of corn fodder, rye clover, &C., were shown,
and all who had tried the system were
united in the belief of its enormous value TO
farmers.
Many methods had been chosen for con.
structng the silos. Some had built costly
pits with massive stone walls, frightened with
cement; some had built wooden lined cellars
one man had built a silo of boards, above
ground, but did not find that plan as good as
under ground silos
Various methods of covering the pits and
pressing down the crops were discussed
Some used boards covered with stones.-
Some used cloth covered with earth. An
other used screws, but could not get his men
to tighten them, as the corn packed so rapid
ly. All agreed that it was necessary TO
weight the covering heavily, to exclude the
air.
All kinds of stock are said to become very
fond of ensilage, and the increase of milk and
flesh, when milk cows and steers are fed with
it, as compared with dry food, was remarka.
ble
MIR. Potter gave the results of his expert.
ence in preserving corn, rye, the grasses and
sorghum. He thought that red clever was,
because it settles in the most compact mass,
and meets the principal requirement of the
process which is to exclude the air and retain
the moisture. He believed that the best part
of the crop would be lost by curing or dry.
ing He found that when clover was pro.
perly preserved by ensilage,a piece about six
inches cube would be n good ration for COW
because it would be so compact. He believed
that crops could be kept in the pits or silos
ten years as good as the day they were cut
He had raised sorghum for three years, and
found it better crop than corn. 1t would
produce more milk and flesh to the acre than
could be got from corn, but would exhaust
the soil more. In favorable season he could
get pretty good second crop He found
that sorghum took little longer than corn
to mature.
Chairman Morris said that ensiage was in
fact very simple thing, but farmers seemed
to think there was something mysterious
about it because the words ensilage and 81 os
were new to them. He made his silos by
digging trenches II feet deep, seven feet wide
at the bottom, and eight feet wide at the top.
He did not line them at all. The water did
not come in. When he had the pit filed with
crop he put covering of felt on it and
covered it with dirt as n weight He used
salt at first to put on the crop as it went into
the pit, but he found that was unnecessary.
The soil was marty clay. He did not think
there was any necessity for building wall of
stone and cementing the pits, as some did
He found his trenches to answer all pur-
poses He did not find that the rain pene-
trated his covering of earth and felt.