The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-14
gadersou gntelligenses.
GREEN FOOD FOR CATTLE.
Few Phases OF Ensilage Discussed In tho
Annual Congress.
NIe,c York Sun.

Seyenty.fve farmers interested in pre-
serving summer growths green and juicy
in winter met yesterday, in the third
annual Ensilage Congress, at 55 Beekman
street. Ensilage has been tested in this
country for five years. The object Of the
annual meeting is TO compare experience
and results. As an art, ensiage is yet in
it's infancy. 1t was practiced first in
France, in 1878, on q large scale, and
was adopted in America in 1878. The
system has enemies who insist that the
preserved grass or corn spoils the milk,
and that, being in the first stage Of fer
mentation, it must eventually undermine
the health of the cattle.
Edward Gridley, Of Wassaic, n. Y,
gave an account of the difficulty the
Wassaic farmers had with New York
condensed milk company which had its
factory near Wassaic. Milk was furnish
ed 20 this factory by farmers from great
distance around it. In 1880 three far
mers experimental with siios. Milk
increased in quantity, and milk inspectors
at the factory tried in vain to detect
something wrong in it. They pronounc-
cd the milk good. In 1881 eight add.
tonal silos were made, and in 1881 and
-
to the factory from cattle fed On enslage,
more silos were built. There were then
more silos in Wassaic than in any other
part of the country in territory Of sim.
was refused at the factory. The farmers
from COWS fed on ensilage had been
he, al nd
that the milk would not remaiu fit for
1t was asserted, too, that New York con.
something bad in the milk. The Presi.
dent of the milk company offered to fur
nish the usual food for COWS If farmers
refused TO make contracts with them
If the farmers filled their silos.
Corn had been planted when this prop.
osition came from the condensed milk
company, and farmers permitted the
question to remain open until the time
the silos. When that time arrived seven
to remain empty. They are empty
to yield to the condensed milk company.
He had bought thirty steers and was
fattening them for market. DR.. Tanner,
Mr.. Chsfee, and Others had done the
came. Mr.. Gridley thought it question
but he thought il was by selling milk.
when he found two year old oxen gain
two and one third pounds day on EN-.
silage.
DR.. Tanner of the same town said he
had $50 cows, and after the trouble with
the factory he sold 100 of them and took
the milk Of fifty to New York city. The
customers who used the milk did not
complain Of It. If they did he had hay
enough for the cows.
d. Rogers of Binghamton, aaid he fur.
nished the milk of ensiage fed cows to
complained of the milk Just after the
silos were opened in winter. Out of
three hotels, one had complained.
A resolution was passed asking the
Department of Agriculture at Washing
ton to make an analysis of ensilagc milk
aud of that produced by the ordinary
feeding and to publish the result, and
also requesting the State Experimental
Station Of New York 10 make a similar
comparative analysis.
Elder Evans, of the Lebanon Shakers
filled three silos last Summer, and had
fed out two of them. Their butter was
es good as over. Elder Evans thought
that it 10 Easy to make roo- article, but
that there is no reason why GnciIage Is
not perfect food. He saw no Injurious
effect on the cattle,
Prof. Miles Of the Amherst AgricultI-
raj College read paper on the prevention
of aoiIi;y in ensilage. He said that fer
mentation lie the result of process. of
vital activity in which microscopic germs
are nourished. These germs are called
bacteria, and they produce the aciiity.
If the bacteria could be killed there
could be nc acidity. The way to kill
them, he thought, was to fill the siloa
leisurely, and not put on the weights
until the temperature is high enough to
prevent its falling below the point neces-
sary to kill the bacteria. This tempera.
ture, he had found, was from li5 to l22
degrees. The result, he believed, would
be uniformly sweet ensilage.
John Myer, of Mr.. Theodore A. Have.
meyers Mountain Side Farm, near
bsshwsh, N. j., said he fed each of his
100 Jerseys twenty pounds OF ensiiage in
the morning and twenty pounds at night,
with seven pounds Of hay at noon.
With each meal was given also quart
OF ground oats and Indian meal. The
cattle were never turned out to pasture,
and Ind been fed in this way for three
years. Their health is perfect. The
ensilage had been taken from sixty three
acres of Land producing about twenty
Ions to the acre.
Some one asked whether ensi!age was
good for horses. DS. Eissxattsr, of Vissis-
Ia, said: II fed my hofses ensilage for a
week. 30 did neighbor. My neigh.
boris died. About that time heard of
soEs males dying in Kentucky from
eating ensilsge. Then l concluded to
stop feeding ensilage."
Henry Goodwill, of Passaic, said he
had an old horse which he fed on ensi.
lago because he didn't care whether the
old plug lived or died. 1t got fat.
j. Costigan, of Frederick Bronson's
farm In Greenfield Hill, Conn, said he
had fed ten horses for o week past on
ensiiage, and eight of them died..
The Late Ars. Jane Perry Butler.