The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-06-03
Feeding EnsiIaEe In England.
philadelphia Record.

In order that the public aud farmers IN
particular, may derive practical knowledge
OF the advantages Of ensilsge as food for
stock, NJ c. H. Fox. CT Wellington, Eng.
land, invited large number of prominent
gentlemen to witness the opening Of his silo,
for an account OF which We are indebted to
the Wellington (Somersetshize, Eng News.
The silo having been opened, samples ofthe
ensilsge were inspected and also fed to the
cows. In this country we depend princi-
pally on Indisn fodder corn IS material for
ensilsge. but in England grass is mostly
used, which docs not acquire the scidity at
iTibuted to fodder corn. Mr.. Fox's method
was suggested by Professor Rogers. He dug
q pit 1ox6 feet and four feet deep, snd
two tons ef grass was ensilaged, the
grass being covered by two-inch
boards placed close together and
upon this covering eight feet OF
dirt was thrown, which acted as the neces-
sary weight and excluded air. It was also
roughly thGtched. When opened the en-
silsge was Quite sound, and afforded excel
lent food for three mich COWS for SIX weeks.
Mr.. Fox estimates that the aftermath Of four
weeks and If the grass is cut for the silo in
September the field will also afford psstarsge
until November. His cows, which had
previous to the opening of his silos been
feeding On hay and Oil-csEe. bad no sooner
exchanged his diet for one Of simple ensilsge
than their milk encressed from about Eve
and half quarts TO about seven quarts per
diem from each COW. He considers enSilags
one CT the best discoveries of the age. for
whereas il takes four tons of grass 10 msks
ton Of hay, 1t will make four tons Of ca
silage, and az two tons of this are certainly
equal 10 Ton Of hay, the value is practically
doubled.
During the meeting it was admitted that
silos should be in proportion to the farm ana
the amount OF stOcG kept aud that two small
silos are better than one large one, a c0nven-
lent slZs being nine feet wide, twelve feet
long and ten deep. The walls ShOald b.
smooth. TO SLOW the ensilRge 70 sink easily,
and seventy poun DIS TO the square foot is CO .
sideTed q proper weight upon the ensilaga.
Regarding the effects OF enslRFe uaOn MIX
productions one of the visitors, also s large
farmer, said that be had 40 cows IN milk,
and samples were constantly being a1alyZad
in order to note il the milk failed Z quality.
To determine how much COW would est DE
tied up Bedigtesd shorth0Tn and gave her
nothing bat eusilags. The hrss day she a'e
101 pounds, an enormous days meal the
second day g. poands, the third day Al
pounds, but 80 pounds seemed 70 satisfy.
In this country the estimates are based
upon the quantity Of milk and iIs quality in
the shape OF cream. In England the esIi-
mates of quality ere based upon the Emouut
of solids not tat, and fat. The standard IN
vogue OF solids not fat, and fat LOT total sol
ids, Is Il, and in feeding ensilsge e Short
horn COW reached u IS; Welsh COW, 13 90
and sn AyIshiTe COW, 1891, which demon
strsted that they yielded we'll. The milk of
seventy cows averaged: Solids not fat, S.SSi
fat so; or total of sollds amounting to
u As: and confirmed the previous experience
I'D TO the standard.
What is called ist is not meant altogether
ss cream. The fat extracted by anal
ysis is animal oil, but tbs cream
rising on milk is mixture OF fat,
water and solids. The conclusion sr-
rived at by those present were that
with q silo on farm nothing need be wasted,
no matter how dried up it may appear; thst
abe storage of wet ensiIage should be avoid ed,
as it seriously affects the value of the food
and that 81 immense saving may bs affected
by the disuse Of artificial food
Although fodder-corn is used in America,
owing to the cheepness OF its production,
yet the silo may be used for the storage of
grass here as well as in England. The meet
ing mentioned above decided that the valus
of the grass crop is doubled when ensilsged,
while its value as food. as dem onstrated by
analysis, was above the standard When the
system of storing green food in the silo for
winter use becomes more generally known
the farmers Will save large portion of their
crops and be enabled TO increase the number
OF their cows