The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1882-10-13
VOL. XIII.-NEw SERIES.
ALL ABOUT ENSILAGE.
Process Of Preparing this Valuable Food-A
Hint TO Our Farmers

had put up nearly two hundred tons of Gu.
slage U forget the exact Ggurcs) ou his
experimental! farm at Knoxville, just before
'sity here. As the subject Of eusilagc is
much discussed now days, asked him
something about it, and he referred me for
information to his agricultural r,port for
1880 The article therein contained is full
of interest. l will give synopsis for the
bcueft Of the farmers of Fairfield Eusi
lasc is said to be nothing more than pre-
served green forage, and is analogous to
cunncd vegetables or canled fruits. The
green food is packed away iu tight comp.rt
ments durlrS summer or autumn, aud is
thus kept green for winter use. AS none
of the juices are lost it can be readily seen
that the food thus preserved must go very
much farther than the dried product All
sorts of food can be pitt ID, but Indian corn
gives the best results.
Articles heretofprc published have given
elaborate descriptions oibricked and cemcn
ted SiI's, or pits, the very cost of which
would deter almost any farmer from making
the cxperim ut. Professor McBryde, how.
ever, made his cnSilagc rs follows:
~ pit was prepared on the northern
side of small grove and on the edge of
dry knoll, nine feet long, six feet deep
Tac Soil was l strong, fran chv, over a
close, dry and compact red clay subsoil.-
The sides Of the pit were neither bricked
~ HoT "2mrmtcJ. Owing to the loug con
,,uUri thought the corn was dry aud wltcd
1t W. Eut down, when the cars were begin.
MAJ ia 81, with sickGs-ab Dut the middle
OF : ptvmber-anl Immediately cartcd to
the pit after being weighed 1t was carefully
laid l. 'g'hwisc i'll the pit and packed closely
du&r. layer by layer. The mass was carried
2'.ried up vertically SIX feet above tn, SIR.
face i't!c pit i'll order to allow f.r its set>
II, :. About three feet Of the clay was
tncn thrown in ou top, aud it was al
lowed 20 stand for tw"nty.four hours. At
the expiration Of that time it had settled
Asasi4y-srap,ed-aud. more clay thrown ryou
the tcp aud sides. In Il 'l,y or so more the
mass had settled down well into the pit
The pit was closely watched for some time
aud all cracks covered up. 1t held 1900
pounds Of the green corn. As its capacity
%as 324 cubic feet. the ensiiagc must have
vnl I,,.,l nh. . ,,,,l
foot.
"Whcn opened on the 18th of December
last, three months after it waS filled, the
tnasS witnin was found u be sound and fresh
aud but slightly changed in appearance,
the edges and top aIone to the depth of an
inch or so being somewhat damaged. One
was taken from this end and the cnsila.c
removed by cutting slice out vertically
dDwnwards. An axe had to be used for
this purpose, SD great WIS the conprc>sion
Of the mass. After few hours exposure
to the air alcoholic Fermentation set in
This food was greatly rcliShcd by the sock
ccpt that Il little straw was thrown on top
OF the open section. The ensilagc was ic,.
out during the months of December, Janus
AIRY aud February, rcmaimimy Soumd and
nnoh"r~I 10 Mc last.
"From Il careful comparison Of the pub
iishcd results Of numerous experiments,
h,v L.,
Keep rs well in pits dug in the naked clay
aS in hrck"l up and ccmintcd Si2oS, provi
d3d the clay is dry and compact.
"Ihr great object to be attained Is the
exclusion Of air. which contains oxygen,
the great agent of decay"
The walls of the pits must be- perpcnd,
cuIar, :" as to admit Of the settling Of the
mass. 1t is also advisable to chop up the
food before piuin&; but,his is not necessary.
The cost Of cutting, hauling. choppins up
and picking the corn in the pit was GSi
ccn:Spcr ton, with labor at seventy five cents
day. The corn should be packed away
Immediately on cuttin. and before it wills
al ' ,'tle rain on it does no harm The
b . ..,..:i.G is earth, which affords "con
tN".', descending pressure"
i.....i'.. value Of cnSila.c is two tons,
or ,>r',n,.r.i ut from one third to one. half
that "i hay From two to five tons of hay
cru t. produced on an acre of best meadow
The >nrc land should yield twenty five to
thirty ia. 4 II IN corn ,:,h ~ $50,
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