Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-04-21

it, T. C., tho silo. Accordingly q section Of the
barn, ten by twenty, which had boen used as
a manure receptacle, was cleared, the bed
rock on which the barn sits scrnped clean,
aud carefully oemented. The sides of the
barn were then heavily timbered, and double
boarded on the inside with planed spruce
boards, eighteen feet long, thus making pit
ten by twenty by eighteen, Of an estimated
capacity of ninety tons Four acres Of NAM
moth ensage and southern dent corn were
planted by machine, at cost of one dollar
per acre. All the hoeing was done by care
fully cultivating the piece four times. The
work of filling the pit began about September
10, and continued at intervals till about Oc-
tober 10. At first the ensilage was carefully
trodden and pounded down with a maui, un-
til several feet were thus put down, when
horse was used until the remainder was all in.
The work seldom continued all day and fire.
quent intervals of two or three days occur
red in which none was put down yet so
hard was it trodden that it did not heat at all,
nor has it ever passed the first stage of fer
mentation. No weights were placed upon it
except a light load of straw. The doctor
thinks that after this he will not do even that.
Twelve feet in depth only of the pit were
used, holding about sixty tons of the ensil-
age. An average of ten COWS have been kept
on the ensilage, being fed from forty to sixty
pounds per day, according to the COW, togeth-
or with three pounds of cotton seed meal No
other fodder has been used. The ensiage Is
very mildly acid, nor is it offensive to the
taste or smell, as has been frequently report.
ed from various silos. The cattle are sleek,
in good flesh and feel better than any cows l
have seen this winter OF course they are
lank from the condensed shape in which their
fodder is One COW that dropped her calf
oh f..A !
per day and is still gaining in quantity. Tho
doctor is enthusiastic; he says be don't know
how he could get fodder enough from four
acres in any other way to keep ten COWS. In
the construction of the silo six thousand feet
of lumber were used, but the doctor thinksit
was more than was really necessary. The en-
tire cost was $40, but he says a suitable pit
could be built for about SO No part of the
silo was underground nor were the sides
packed to prevent freezing. During the very
coolest weather it froze little at one end,
but not enough to do any harm. Sometimes
there is a slight encrustation on top. The
cost of the ensilGge was reckoned at 81 80
per ton. l hear the question often asked
whether the silo is a sort of parlor orna-
ment for the amusement of the amateur, or
whether it is to be something 1t seems to
me that the time has not yet arrived to decide
that question. But the experiments of such
practical farmers Us DIR. Parker can hardly
fail to be useful and instructive to the intelii.
gent and progressive farmer. Again we hear
it repeated that the milk from cows fed on
ensilage is poor, and the butter insipid The
doctor does not allow anything Of that kind
at his dairy. Perhaps other parties can tell
us something in regard TO this. One OF the
Boston milkmen, who keeps seventy cows on
enslage, is producing milk at a cost of two
and one.half cents per quart. would like
to know if any one here in Vermont can
equal this in feeding hay and grain. 2.