The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-10-06

once, Nos. IS and 81 Fourteenth Street.
ENsILAsE.

snos Proof Against Gold Seasons. DR.
weather, GrasShOpPOrS, Etc.
@. r. Nttiteg IN FaTWeu Mirror.
1t is we'll for the readers Of the Nirro
that those who have silos and have pu
them to fair test give full and fair re
ports of their experience, especially as
class Of men are trying to make 1t appeG
that the ''silo craze" is blowing over. Nov
will our friend D. A. Morse, or any othe
man who knows absolutely nothing abou
ensilage by experience, be considerat,
the question before he calls 1t craze ant
comes out 30 confidently in his assertions
VIII he ask the multitudes who success
fully feed ensilage why they don't qui
the ruinous lin his eyes, practice. II en-
silage is not safe to feed and the products
resulting from feeding 1t arc unwholesome
the State should prohibit its use, or al
least should appoint inspectors who shal
decide whether il is in safe condition tc
feed or not, else the public health will be
endangered.
But Mr.. Morse asks candid question
"Are silos profitable to the average farm
err" In reply l will say that The average
farmer cannot afford 10 do tUithottt Sil0. II
l do not place the average farmer in q
wrong position, he Is candidly considering
the matter and does not assume sufficient
knowledge in regard to 1t to take the mega.
tive side Of the question and do what in
his power and his pen lies to dissuade
men from trying the experiment. The
fact that so many men Of moderate means
have built silos, and that not single one
ofthem who has fed ensilage long enough
and carefully enough to be able to give an
impartial deciyion has yet failed to give
his hearty approval OF the system, is some
evidence that the average farmer who has
given the matter trial, and consequently
placed himself in position to decide from
experience, is right in his decision. But
Mr. Morse will repeat his statement OF q
"$3, 900 silo, and that the ensilage therein
is discarded. Will he tell who is the own.
or Of this silo, and who has condemned en-
silagc as food for cows? Statements in a
general way are not convincing. Round
numbers are not good for an argument.
We want names and facts In this discus.
sion. Heressy Is not reliable. The most
expensive silo in this region is that OF the
Monlton brothers, who have money to
use or play with at liberty. During last
winter the story was current and believed
by many, that they had discarded ensi-
-lage and were dumping the whole con.
tents OF their fine, costly silo out on the
meadows; the butter was spoiled, and
worst Of all, the calves from their costly
herd OF high-blood Jerseys were dying
from chills as soon as they were born.
This came 80 direct that i. seemed 1t must
be true, and l went to see why their ensi-
lage was workingso differently from mine.
Was 1t true or was ] deceived, and my
own yet TO prove detrimental to my herd
When on the spot found every COW wss
having her daily allowance Of ensilage
(only little less than was fed at frst),
the butter was all that could be asked for,
the calves looking finely and no calf had
died save one puny thing that came I'M
duly on most bitter cold night. At one
end Of the silo the air had found ingress,
and the ensilage from that end had been
drawn out damaged. So much for story
accepted as fact by the negative side OF
the silo question. Has MI. Morse seen
with his own eyes the cases Of failure? It
will not do to take hearsay. But suppose
there may be one or two, or q dozen, who
20 back on ensilage. What are they
against the thousands who are more than
satisfied? What is the opinion OF these
one TO dozen disgruntled siloists to the
otherwise universal testimony Of dealers
in fine, giltedge butter? The best butter
in market to-day is made by ensilagists,
aud it will continue to be so made, q few
scheming middlemen to the contrary not
withstanding. Sad, indeed, is that man
who falls into their clutches, and his Eek.
periepce" sadder still.
1t is not true that any "hocus pocus
change in the silo marvelously enhances
the value" OF fodder in the silo. There is
no "hocus pocus," no marvellous" about
1t. Neither does it lose large percentage
OF It's value in the silo" nor does 1t decay
so as not to be fit food for COWS whose
milk 10 used in hutter-making. In all
well constructed and properly 4llad siloa,
whether OF wood or other more costly
material, not one hundredth Of one per-
cent Of the contents is damaged, less
even than in the average hay NOW, say
ing nothing Of the loss from dew and rain
before the hay is pat in the barn. Now
will Mr.. NJ. tell us who are the linen oil
limited knowledge and experience?" Are
they the men who get ali they do know
by experience in feeding their own stock
on ensilage, or the men who sit in the
village store store and get their own
knowledge (2) by hearing what this or
that one says? l am sure the average
farmer farmer who has silo and has
proved its value Is the man who canspeak
from experience, and he who only hears
the lingo Of the village gossip is the man
Of limited knowledge. What say you,
readers Of the Mirror.
Well, let us pass on to the grain item as
fed with ensila9e. 1t Is true. many feeders
give grain to their stock sufficient to make
q great difference in the result Of the
method OF keeping that stock. Other en-
silagists feed little or no grain. II Mr..
Moore and those in the negative will visit
the silo Of Thomas HAGEN, Norwich, Vt,
and get his experience, they will find a
very important screw loose in their mega
tive machinery, and learn trota one whose
"limited knowledge" has done much to
put silos and ensilage in Q true light
among Vermont farmers. I will even ask
them to call at my place and see cows that
have ensilage night and morning and
straw at noon, with one quart Of barley
meal a day, and which have not left o
pound OF ensilage, straw or meal in the
crib for eight weeks and yet have gained
one.thtrd In their milk, though coming in
from February to June !, and that have
gained in flesh faster than ever had them
when turned to grass in spring, and, that
on fodder damaged by the early frost. l
will feed them with such butter as
my family customers in the cities
call tirst-clsss and will buy no other,
aud then ! will confess to them that my
"knowledge Is limited" and that do not