The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-09-20
farm aud Garden.
A Chemist on Ensilage.

the science OF farming. Inc following
tnggestions on the subject of ensilage
Ire credited to that journal:
Il There is considerable misrepresentation
among farmers as to just where the saw
mo is made. One hundred pounds or
one ton of good ensilaged corn fodder
contains much more nutriment than the
same weight of green stalks, or its
Equivalent in the air-dried condition of
the fodder. In all our experiments in
the laboratory and observations in prac-
tical trials in the barn, the conclusion
has been reached that the true value of
silos does not consist in any important
increase of nutriment in fodder, but in
the saving OF expense in storing and
feeding it. If there is no saving in this
direction; if it costs as much in time
and labor to ensilage cornstalks as it
does to cut and dry them in the field,
and when in the barn to cut and crush
them, so that animals will eat them
readily, then there is no. advantage in
ensilage.
1t is a surprising fact that many, if
not most, farmers believe that something
valuable is lost in drying fodder; they
believe that important constituents or
rich plant-food go off with the water.
This is an error. All the moisture in
cornstalks does not go off in field dry
ing, and the air-dried plants which hold
thirty or thirty-fve per cent. of the
original water In the green state will
keep well VIII, n stored for winter use. In
drying grass or corn fodder the water is
by far the most volatile constituent, and
a the solid material, or nutrient por-
tons, is held only in suspension in the
watery juices, the water evaporates,
leaving behind the heavier and more
valuable particles. The disadvantage
which exists when ensilaged fodder corn
is contrasted with the dry fodder is only
apparent, not real. Animals will eat,
digest and assimilate, and COWS will give
as much milk, and oxen and horses will
do as much work, when dried corn fod-
der is fed to them as when fed with
the same ensilaged. If the dried corn
fodder is cut and crushed and moistened
with little warm water, animals will
eat it up clean with as great relish as
they apparently do enslage. There IS
no advantage in ensilaging corn or other
kinds of fodder, unless it be in saving
of expense, in time and labor, and in
convenience of feeding.
The conclusions which We have reach
ed from a careful consideration of this
subject are supported by recent expert
ments at the New Jersey experiment
station, conducted under the supervision
of Prof. Cook. His results are of great
interest to farmers, and corroborate the
views npon ensilage so often expressed in
the Jou2maL and elsewhere. Prof Cook s
experiments extend over a period OF
nearly six months and were made with
green fodder corn, air-dried and ensi-
LACED corn. The experiments were, con-
Quoted in the barn in feeding COWS with
the different forms of fodder, and in the
laboratory in testing results, and they
are in the highest degree trustworthy
He sums up the result as follows:
Flrst-Whep the green corn was dried
in stacks in the field, the loss was less
than it was when the corn was packed in
silo.
Second-When dried corn fodder was
cut and crushed it was eaten by COWS
quite as readily and with as little waste
as ensilage
Third-In three cases, the yield o.
milk was not increased when ensiIage
was substituted for dried corn.
Fourth-In the mixed milk for TWEEN
ty days of one herd of COWS, ensilagt
caused no increase in the yield of tota
solid matter in the milk, while in another
herd it caused a gain of only seven pei
cent.
The opinions Of thcs} who have beer
using ensilage in their farm barns during
the past winter are as whole favorable
to the new form of fodder. We hav,
taken considerable pains to investigat,
the nature of the contents of silos. a1e
the effects upon stock of the food drawn
from them, and are prepared to say tina
all questions regarding their safety anc
high profit are not conclusively settled
1t is probable that the whole matter O
ensllaging crops will undergo com
Plete revolution in a few years. TIL,
present expensive sllos may be found no
so well adapted to the purpose as Others
OF cheaper construction. 1t is not pro
bable that ensilaging will fall into di.
use, bat that better methods and cheaper
structures will supplant those now il
use.