The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1882-04-07

SOiIing vs.. Observation-Disclosures About a
Rank I'm Hartford.

The Deer Creek Farmers Club held their regll-
lar monthly meeting az the residence of Messrs
s. Is. and George f. Silver on Saturday, April
LIST. Besides active and honorary members there
were present Messrs. George L.. Scott, f. c. Hop
kins of Lee, VIM. H: Bayess. of Baltimore, s.
Martin Bayless, and II. j. and James McCurdy.-
The President, Mr.. VIM Munnikhuysen, being
absent on account of severe illness, MIR. James ii
Ball was called to the chair.
The committee to examine the condition of the
farm and premises consisted of Messrs James
Lee, VIM. w. Castner and b H Barnes. MIR. Lee,
the chairman, said the committee saw nothing to
criticize. Being engaged in canning the Messrs
silver raise but little grain. Their wheat,
about 10 acres, looks well. Their stock cattle APP
peared to have been fed on grain, but they had
only had rough proyender all winter. Their
Thoroughbred Short Horn cattle and Berkshire
hogs were in good condition. The stables con-
tanned half a dozen mules, recently purchased
which looks as though they intend to farm extern
sively this year. They expect to plant 20 acres in
peas and from 100 To l2j acres in sugar corn
They have recently bought another farm of lbs
acres. which looks as If canning paid.
Mr.. Cashier thought the sheep, 40 or 80 in num-
her. looked well and the lambs in good healthy
cCnditIon.
SOu.ISG VS. GRAZING.
The question selected for consideration was
"Sollng vs. Grazing, considered in connection
with ensiage and doing away with inside fences"
None of the members had had any practical en-
perience with ensiage or soiing cattle, that is
keeping them in stables all the year, cutting ana
feeding them green food during the summer.
Mr.. George Il. Silver thought the question
was an important one and in the near future
would force itself on the attention OF our far
mers. He had had experience in grazing and
knew something about the cost of fences, but no
experience in soillng. Grazing he thought the
most profitable mode of farming. since it brings
in more ready money and keeps the farm in bet
ter condition than any other system. Fencing is
very expensive, and ii we cease grazing we can
do away with inside fences but what relation
soiling bears to doing away with fences he could
not say. A correct conclusion could only be ar
rived At by comparing the profit Of grazing say
~ acres with the profit of the same amount Of
land by putting in crops storing cnsage and soil
inn II has been II demonstrated TINT in plupps
il pays to soil and save cnsage, and he did not
see why it would moi pay here. AS beef. pork
here. under our present system, we must resort
to something else, and this must he enSilagc and
soiling. II some farmer in the county would be
willing to make Il practical test of sOiling and en-
silage he would b" willing 10 assist in bearing the
loss, If any occurred.
Jas. Lee did not think our lands were up to such
soiling. Stock in stables require increased and
more expensive attention than when grazed. He
has meadow that would cut scarcely any
hay. yet it will fatten great many cattle.
L. &, Hopkins of Lee prefers grazing to soilng.
Keeping stock confined in stables would involve
great expense for labor and feed. He thought
the trampng of land by cattle was an advantage
to many Soils which would otherwise become so
light that when plowed up they would wash very
much and deterorate.
II. &. McCurdy said that in the part of the
county where he lives there is not much chance
for either soiing or grazing, the ground being
poor and rough.
Thomas A. Hays is grazer aud coincided with
the views expressed ny Mr. Lee. He said he knew
nothing practically of ensilage or sOiling and
should wait until he saw them tried by others be-
fore adopting them. The immense labor required
would be against them, he thought and he did
not believe the health Of the animal could be
preserved in Il tightly enclosed stable in warm
weather.
VIM. W. Cashier thought soiling the true sys-
TEN. If we knew the cost of fencing for two or
three generations we would see the great saving
by doing away with them. He was satisfied that
by soiling our lands would carry double the
amount Of stock they now do, we would make
treble the amount of manure and our crops would
be doubled. The extra expense would not be
great. On ordinary sized farms IL would only re-
quire one extra hand. In Pennsylvania the sys
TEN has been praciced for years and he never
knew man to fall from his faith init. In grazing
II bullock damages more grass, taking the season
through, than he eats, and the trimpling certain
ly must be damage 10 the land. The time will
come when soiling will he adopted here
Il. H. Barnes thought soiling would pay better
on small farms than grazing. He would not try
soiling on large farm.
S. Nj. Bayless thought that by soIing more cat
tie could be kept on the same quantity of ground
than by grazing. In grazing cattle waste as much
Geo. l.. Scott regarded soiling as the better sys-
TEN and thought the day will come when il
will be the universal practice in this neighbor
hood.
X. John Rogers remarked that he had heard
great deal of talk and read great deal about en-
silage, but knew nothing abOutit. Unless its fat
tening properties are very great he could not see
what advantage there would be in IL. Asa general
thing farmers have as much fodder and hay as
r, Lee
opinion, that our land is not dear enough to make
SOling necessary.
Johns II. Janney read an article showing the
enormous cost of fences, amounting in the United
States to $1,aO000O,0 He thought ensilage had
one advantage Cattle do not lose, in the fall when
fed on ensage, as they do when fed on dry food.
Mr.. Janney gave the following figures, showing
the relative cost of feeding 80 cattle by the ensiage
and soilng system as compared with grazing
To fence farm of $50 acres, at $40 an acre,
would cost $2500. This fence would not last
longer than Is years. Therefore computing COM
pound interest on the original outlay you would
have to add $3.50 making the fence cost in II
years $3.50, or S423.33 every year. That amount
($42333) is therefore sunk every year in fencing
1t will take acres of good land to pasture a
steer. Therefore, 80 cattle will require $50 acres
for pasture. To winter them will take the pro-
duce of so acres more. Such land would be worth
$685. an acre, making the capital invested in the
700 acres $4,000, the interest on which would be
$3.50. PASTURING.
Interest on land NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. $3.50 90
Fence cost for the year of the entire farm aga "a
Cost of 30 cattle $l,T50, interest on same los 90
Attention FOR D months. ................. 100 90
$l.40S 80
Profit on 30 cattle, at S25 per head 49,. $50 90
soILING.
TO soil 80 cattle would require 50 acres, To
winter 80 cattle on ensilage months, u acres -
Thus ~ acres. at S85 per acre, would be worth
81 030. the interest on which one year. would be
$2ilS0 The l2 acres would produce 20 tons of
4SD 900 pounds. A ration is 60 lbs. day. There
fore IL acres would feed so cattle lGO days
Attention. one man and one boy one year 1896 90
One horse one year ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 100 90
Interest on land. .......,................ 241 80
Interest on cattle. los 90
sS42 so
Profit on cattle. 1850 90
E net, R Pr sassn9 s iss g