The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-01-04
farm aud Garaen.
lConducted by DIR. THOMAS POLLARD, State
Commissioner of Agriculture
Ensilage.


with Ensilage at Winning Farm. ;"
How to produce milk for one cent per
quart; butter for ten cents per pound :;
beef for four cents per pound mutton
for nothing, if wool is thirty cents per
pound. By DR.. John M Bailey.
This is new edition of Dr. Bailey's
book on ensilage, and the title is very
taking one. The first edition was pub
hshed in l979-'80. The DR.. is probably
too enthusiastic about the great value of
ensilage, but those who criticise him
must remember that he has had now con-
siderable experience in the matter, while
the critics have had very little His first
silo was built in 1879 He selected a
hill side, excavated on the west side and
south end feet deep and put in a solid
stone wall on the west side A feet long
and II feet high, with capacity of 8OO,-
600 pounds. He goes into minute ac-
count of his plan of building the silo
with concrete walls, filling, trampling.
pressing, etc. The cost was $500; of
course 1t was built in very complete
manner, and no doubt with unnecessary
expense. The farmers will be slow to
adopt ensilage if it be attended with
much expense, though DIR. Bailey con-
tends, even on his plan, that storing fod-
der corn will cost less than by building
sheds to hold it in the dried state. |
have demonstrated on my farm that fod-
der corn keeps well in pits without any
planking or bricking up the sides, pro
vlded the pit is dug in firm, red clay
soil, extending up to the top of the
ground. If it does not do that a few
planks Will be necessary near the surface,
to keep the earth from caving. My ex-
pertinent also proved that it is not ne
cessary to cut up the fodder-corn, and
1t may probably keep better in this way
than when cut up, as only one part of the
whole stalk is exposed by a cut surface
that where it is severed from the ground
and there will necessarily be less fermen-
tation than where there are so manv cut
surfaces with the juices exuding during
the process of cutting and trampIing. Of
course the feeding is easier where the
material is prepared by cutting when put
away, and more can be stored in this
state.
DIR. Bailey says {" the success of his first
sllo was so complete, and the results so
startling, that thousands of the most pro-
gresslve farmers and business men with
a taste for agriculture, came to Win
mng Farm and examined the practical
working of the system of ensilage for
themselves. So convincing was the ex-
hibition of what they saw that can truly
say there is to-day not a State in the
Union which has not a silo constructed
IN all material points after the Winning
silos. Nebraska-one of the last we
would suppose to economic forage-can
boast OF having the largest silos in Amer
ica, If not in the world" These were
constructed by DR.. Eager, who had pre-
viously visited the "Winning FARM
the silos are four, each 60 feet long, 90
feet deep, and Is feet wide, capacity
1000 tons California, Florida, Texas,
have their silos, and in the eastern and
middle States hundreds have been built.
And DR.. Bailey says he is in receipt OF
many letters daily, announcing the open
lngs OF sllos. In eUery case the success
IS absolute"
Dr. Bailey says he does not claim the
credit of originating this system, for it is
older than the Christian era. That much
credit is due to M. Auguste Goffart, a
distinguished member of the Central
Agricultural Society of France" and
"Chevalier de la legion d Honneur, " who
by many years of patient experimentation
perfected the system. We think M. Gof-
fart does take credit to himself of having
originated ensilage. DIR. Bailey SAYS
zone of the earliest Latin writer's speaks
of subterranean vaults (silos) where the
ancient Romans used to preserve fruits,
grain, and forage in its green state The
Mexicans have practiced the same art for
centuries, and to this day preserve most
OF their forage by this process; and even
the Indians in the southern part of the
country are said to have preserved their
stores Of maize in the same way. The
system has been practiced in Germany
Tor many years, they calling the feed
thus preserved sour corn. But we sup
pose that this art is only perfected OF
late years, and that by previous system
the preservation of the food was very i'm
perfect, and that fermentation had been
permitted to 20 too far 1t may be that
this is one of the lost arts, which after
the lapse of many years, has been redis-
covered but it is much like new art,
so great have been the improvements and
the perfection arrived at. The secret not
before discovered is the exclusion of air
by great pressure, as well as exclusion OF
water and dampness from all sources"