The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1882-01-05
Agricultural.



,hint I mast break the ice on ensiiase.
Las, viassf read 10 your valuable pa.
,.er IA account II voodra silo ly Mr.
Jones al Portland. Ms, aud followed bus
diretions ,his wear Ia Que part of my
Laymau enclosed space 10 by ~ feet,
simply boarding to the bare frame 90 tao
sides aud filling with sa~dust The other
tao side ~er. enclosed 4, mailing TO
siudding. with a spacc for sawdusi 81
al,ou, a foot. also followed. bis dircc'
ton. alsou, the hliiug, KEEPING J, we'll
trolaen down Although ! Mas 10 days
filling il. GA aeeoun, Of rainy weather It
dil 20, hra, This sas Oiled With 60 OF 70
tens IL Bailey cpru, which | planted ear
" 10 cnsilagc for feeding out in the fall.
opened il on the first OF October. one
month aitsr the weight Mas put on, and
found the en.ilsge better than IN the 9th
er silo last wear. The cows Increased their
milk about one third. This has proved a
great advantage 10 me. Ms ! Was feeding
per month two tons OF hay aud bran mf.
cd. have fed nothing since but ensiiage'
had no fall feed exoep. the pastures 10
which the COWS had run all the season.
1 also have the stone silo filed with
abou, 70 or so tons. all grown on acres
two acres did not produce more than ten
tons lit was frost bitten IN the spring aud
amounted 10 very little so that at least
1870 tons we're grown on six acres. Hound
ont that those high estimates when the
corn Is standing did not hold out with me
when / came to get it into the silo, where
the true test comes, but my crop Is good
enough. | have 80 head OF cattle cows
in milk and heifers to come IN early,
most Of them; 2 steers and IL calves. near
" rs large as yearlings; 7 hogs, which
feed half and half, one bushel OF ensilsge,
and another OF ground oats and peas mixed
and there are no finer pigs IN town SIX
mouths old; also large horse. l think
from the way they all look shall be able
to maintain them and have my hay left.
1t will be something new. for l have had
to buy hay and grain every winter since
com menced farming six years ago. and
most OF the time I have only kept from .
to cows. Men right alongside OF me are
feeding corn and stalks whole, anil they
have been endeavoring to dry corn fodder
around apple trees this wet fall, and still
they say the old way is the best. Why,
there would be to me just As much sense
in advising me, il was navigating ship,
to heave shingles overheard on the out
ward passage by which to find my way
back when homewsrd bound, instead OF
using the sextant and chronometer
The great advantage OF 4 wooden silo is
first its cheapness and second we can put
it where we want It, right alongside the
cattle, and we can build it ourselves. Mine
cost, oil told. $50 for material, covering
and everything. | built it myself In one
week. Common boards are just az good as
plank for the covering. Any poor farmer
can build one like this himself, and two
or three can join in the purchase OF power
and cutter, or hire them. l do not know
what benefit there is in placing the ensi-
lage in pile to ferment before feeding.
/ have fed in the last two years most OF the
time direct from the silo. on account OF
its freezing on the baru floor, and the cows
| think prefer it as it comes from the silo.
If 1t is better to ferment it want to know
it,. ~, Essex, Vt, in Country Gentle
man.