The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-08-11

FEEDING VALUE or ENslLAaE.-Wo
have Inquiries concerning the feeding
value OF cnsllage, some Of which show
some confusion OF mind III regard to the
subject. Benling III mind few gencr-
al principles Will help to II better under
standing.
First. Tho value Of food preserved
Ill sllo depends very greatly on what
was put ln--lts nature and COZ uition
The material used nnd tho degree OF
maturity OF the crop Will greatly affect
the value.
Second. Putting grass, cornstalks or
other substance into II silo does not add
anything to the uu,rimcnt contained in
the mntcrnl. We cannot take out
wint we did not put III. Cutting ana
stollnS the green TODD in silo may
make II more d,Gcsllbir, may, and often
does, make 1t more pnlut tblc than when
the io"d Is dnrd IN the open air. Let
tlhg the nlos turc dry from meadow
grnS" or from green cOru-atulkS in it
sell should not make these substances
lchs ,i' snahe rs luud. In fuct, it does
make them less pulutuhlr, Preserving
much 0t tins moisture in the cnslluycd
food may hca hcip.
Ibrd. III fermentation goes on III
the sill" to any considerable extent there
IL absolute loss OF food value.
Funrth, Reason and experience
alike lend us to conclude that we cu,not
make ensilngcu grass or cornrstniks
alone take the place uf good gram lccd.
The luitcr should be given III connection
with the lCrmcr.
Firth. Reason and experience alike
SHOW that almost any rnlntnblr, nutri-
houS, ,huccui,nt pIu,,t kept in Il sllu with
scasonnbic exclusion OF tho air, makes
ralnt"hic and fairly satisfactory food.
10 ACCOMPLISH II large amount of
work III haymg with comparative cnsc,
and also ~ Eccure tho hay III the best
average condition, the following method
IL recommended: Hun the moving. ma q.
cnlnc from four until eight in the after
noon. AS soon AZ tho dew is of in the
morning. spread the swnths and open
the tumhlcs, II you have any. Then
draw III the hay if there is any ready,
and rake up that which was mown the
afternoon before. The early morning
hours may hc devoted to grinding
ing the l,ny III the barn. III the grass
lays III tho swnth ono night, in the
tumble The next night, and is drawn
into the barn Ill the heat Of the day md
left to stand and sweat another night, it
Will not need many hours sun either
day. If sweet. bright hay, free from
dust, ~ wanted. tho farmer should nci-
ther NOW It, spread it, rake it, nor load
it while it Is wet with dow. In order to
follow this pmn supply ofsllitable hny
caps is needed, then, If II showcris scell
coming up, the farmer will find it less
work to put it in heaps and cover it up
than to get it into In" barn.
AN OHJEcTloN TO MULcHlNG.-Thcrc
is a growing suspicion that tho source
OF our ins ect troubles affecting the straw.
berry may be found in tho practice of
mulching, and there are certainly many
circumstances which render tins view
likely to prove Il true one. On careful
inquiry OF many strawberry men who
ship their fruit to Philadelphia. and
from an examination of their fields and
fruit, it is aScertaincd that those fields
nnmulched have been very nearly or en-
tirely free from the bug which hus
wrought such ruins on tho unmulched
fields.
The insects have been actively breed
ing beneath the mulch during all the
winter and spring, and now the careful
fruit-growrr finds his labor lost. AT
least it has that appearance. TO mulch
~ strawberry field looks, rs one grower
expresses it, like jumping from tn, fry
mYpa into the fire. Considering the
possibility or rather probability of the
mulch acting rs II hnrbol and factory for
the bug. will it not be better to put on
the mulch late in the spring instead OF
in the fail.
In the treatment OF small fruits such
as the strawberry and raspberry, it may
be remarked i'll regard TO tho fCrme,
that two points Of practice have lately
become more strictly enforced by the
most successful cnltivators; tho first is
that all runners should be removed from,
plants intended Tor iruiting, and the
second IL that the soil should not be
cultivated near tlo roots during tho
late fall or spring, and not until the
fruit crop has been removed in early
summer. Disturbing the surface roots
during spring lessons tho crop Of Der.
rics.
DIR. PRETERRE, OF New York, WHO has
attained some success with nrtIticia
Matching OF eggs, secures moisture fol
the eggs by yput,inga green cabbage lea
To 1 IN, H.