Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-03-21
Both Sides OF EnsiIage

The discussion Of the ensilago question is
likely TO continue for E few years more at
least. OF late rather more is said on the op.
posing side, though the advocates of ensi-
lage still have tine most of it on paper, Sec
pro aud anti below;
thrown Bros, Norfolk county, Masz.l
We fed ensilsge to 90 COWS from October
u, 1882, to April -, 1888 Then hay was
bought and fed till rye was large enough 10
cut This was followed by oats then sweet
corn and hungarian was fed. The silo was
filled with corn and opened October /. 1883
aud the ensilage rGtions again commenced
The cows have done splendidly. They are
plump and healthy and can be got ready for
the butcher at short notice. Dry COWS and
bull have been kept in better condition and
ut less cost on snsilage than on the best Eng
hsh hay Our crop of ensilage corn was poor
last year, because we didn't plant it early
enough and because the season was dry. We
have proved to our own and our neighbors
satisfaction that GO rs. of ensilage is as good
as 20 lbs of the best hay. The work of slot
ting the corn is no harder than haying and
less expensive. EnsilRge will be fed as long
as the world stands the more farmers inyes.
tignto 1t, the more ensilage will be fed
nv. l. simonds, Washington county VII
Allow me TO correct the statement which
purports to have been made by me at the late
Vermont dairymen's convention. have new
or claimed 80 much as one-third increase in
my dairy product from feeding ensilage.
think l said II / had put the cost of my gilo
on my grass fields in some good fertilizer. my
hay crop would have been enough larger than
It was TO have wintered as much stock Is the
ensilage did that was raised that year l am
aware that the effect would not be permanent
lint I cDuld have pnuvertad th. ovt., h.,- 49,
money aud applied the same amount, if nee
essary, tins next year. Then / should have
had the land raised my ensilage on for other
crops, and land that will produce a paying
crop OF ensilage will yield 30 bushels OF she'll
ed corn TO the acre. The expense for seed for
a crop Of corn will not be nearly as much as
for ensilage. The expense Of cultivating will
not be more than twice as great The cost
OF harvesting and husking crop of corn will
be no more than that Of properly securing the
ensilage.
My experience has been that 10 tons OF
green ensllage corn per acre is as much as
anyone can depend on This agrees with per
maps 100 reports l have read in the last year
by those who have raised and fed ensilage
Nov l. tons of ensllnge will not weigh quite
three tons, II dried. The expense Of raising
and curing four or even five tons Of grass per
acre at two cuttings is no, half as great as
raising and putting in an acre OF ensilape.
Unless the siio 10 very convenient to feed
from, the expense of feeding ensilage is twice
as much as that Of feeding hay. II my silo
was destroyed, before building another /
would try using fertilizers on grass, smy ex-
perience has convinced me that it is better
and cheaper to enrich the grass fields till they
will produce hay enough, If cut twice in each
summer, 10 winter two cove from one acre.
than 70 attempt to raise ensilage enough on
tho same amount of land