The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-08-23
The SiiO and Ensilage Crops.

Mr.. w. l. Hayward, Of West End, who
is . s:.1lessfni truck farmer as we'll az a
prscticing lawyer, has lately expert.
mented with the siio and gives his views
to the agricultural department. MIR.
Hayward thinks that the South is the
place for the silo. Rust proof onts sown
in October can bo cut and preserved in
May. With good seasons an acre i'll oats
will produce fifteen tons of ensilage.
The same land planted in sweet potatoes
the same season will give fifteen tons of
potato vines. Forage corn planted in the
spring will bs ready 70 cut in June. If
the land is rich an acre will make from
twenty-five to fifty tons. The same land
planted in COW peas will give fifteen tons.
From two acres, therefore, the farmer
can make seventy-fve acres Of feed worth
as much as twenty. five tons of hay. In
regard to the silo. Dir. Hayward says:
Now as to the construction of the silo.
Without discussing the different kinds of
silos, l will describe one that will be
suitable for nil practical purposes, and
can be made by any farmer in the South
with laborers that he has hired ON his
farm. First, dig an excavation in the
ground, as near your barn as possible, i
feet deep, "a feet long and feet wide,
plank up the sides, commencing at bot.
tom of PIT, 8 feet high, with 1t iuch SEA
soned plank, divide it into four co.apAr.-
ments, the divisions are made OF 2x6
plank and well braced so divisions will
not bulge when one apartment only is
filled and weighted. The posts upon
which .hs s:des are nailed should extend
on one side two and the other four fee,
above the side of the silo, upon them the
root is made, the openings ut the end and
sides all left to put your furage in. Ii
tho caves extend to II feet beyond the
sides no rain can get to the ensilage that
will do any damage. After the wallis,
divisions and roof Of the silo are finished,
bank the dirt on the outside as nigh rs
possible, pack well, and then sod in Ber-
next the barn place steps entire height Of
silo, which will prevent your sod from
being injured by persons getting in or
out. The covers used should 10 two
inch plank; cut one inch shorter than the
width Of the'section in which the ensi
lage Is placed in order that there will be
no catching of the covers when the ensi.
lage settles. Around the silo should be
placed an under drain, six inches deep.
er than the bottom of the pit to prevent
seepage water entering the silO. The
forage when being placed in the silo
should be thoroughly tramped. The
covers when placed On should DO heavily
weighted with rocks, logs, sand bags, or
: barrels filled with dirt. You can't put
on too much weight. You can too little.
Most of the failures that have occurred
have been caused by not having used sutfi.
cient weight. Many farmers are deferred
from building a silO, believing that for.
age corn cannot be packed, unless first
run through chopper; for their benefit
! will state that in my silo, built nearly
like the one described, packed six we'll
tramped two. horse wagon loads of forage
corn, uncut, 80 thoroughly that when
completed the mass was only two feet
thick, the packing was done by two
hands, who spread the corn from each
load cover over the floor before the
tramping commenced. The ensilage is
ready for use In about three weeks from
the time it has been packed, it will keep
for months, If not years. In the siio de.
scribed, the. epsilage, when needed, is
reached by removing one plank, and
cutting through the mass perpendicuiarly
Until the bottom has been reached, when
another plank IL moved, and so on, until
the section is emptied.