The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-02-10

it is probably unnecessary to speak
here. The plant for ensilage is our
field Or COW pea (the best [ have
found for that purpose, being the
Whip-poor-will Variety. These I
plant after wheat-first breaking up
the land, then running the rows
three feet apart Then put eight to
twelve peas in each hill, about
twenty inches apart After they
are three or four inches high, side
up with cotton plow, and if the
ground becomes grassy, side up a
second time, going over with a hoe
and cutting out the largest weeds
and grass. No other cultivation is
necessary. From four to eight tons
Of pea vines are made on each acre,
making the ensilage cost (including
two dollars worth of manure per
acre. from $3.50 to $500 per ton.
These vines may be put in the silo
just as they come from the field,
without being cut in cutter,
without injury to the ensilage.
From these vines | make the finest
quality of ensilage, and also the
most inexpensive. This, however,
does not average more than one dol
lar and half ton, and two tons of
this is worth more, in feeding value
than one ton Of the best hay. /
would ask: Is there any portion Of
the United States where good hay
can be bought for $500 per ton?
Then why can we not raise butter
and beef as cheaply as any other
section?
My cheapest made ensilage is
from corn stalks cut after the corn
is sufficiently matured to gather
without injury. | let the ear remain
on the stalk few days later than
when we consider the fodder is ripe
enough to gather. At this time the
grain is we'll glazed. Then pull the
the ears from the stalks and throw
in small heaps convenient to haul to
the barn. Then cut down the stalks
at the ground, blades on them, haul
and pack in silo, as closely as possi-
BILE, taking care to have them lie SO
as to have them fit closely to each
other, avoiding vacant places and in
equalities. Mix in pea vines if need
be to fill up. When full cover the
whole with inch boards, laid length
wise the silo. Then put common
earth or sand 18 inches deep. This
answers the double purpose of ex-
Guiding the air and weighing the
silo, and will be sure to preserve the
ensilage. An acre that will make
four barrels of corn will make four
tons of ensilage, or ton of ensilage
to every barrel of corn. To save
the stalks and fodder in this way is
less expensive than to pull and save in
the usual manner, while the ensilage
is worth ten times as much as the
fodder Ensilage made in this man.
ner does not cost $1.O0 per ton, Civ
ing a large feeding capacity (the
stalks) which would otherwise be
lost. These stalks and fodder make
an excellent food, of which for the
past three years / have fed horses,
mules and cows over three hundred
tons, and from which / have seen no
bad effects.
North Carolina, in the tenth CEN
sus, is put down as making 28,OOO,-
600 bushels corn. One ton OF en-
silage to five bushels corn would
give 100000 tons. Reduce the
quantity to 100000 tons which
will equal 1000, 900 tons of hay, and
we see what an enormous quantity
of stock food is throw away. / con-
slider corn stalks valueless. left on
the ground as manure. The same
census gives the State 1900 tons
of hay showing that the corn
stalks thus utilized will give over
ten times as much of stock food as
the entire production Of hay.
Now suppose the farmers Of North
Carolina would make say two tons
of pea-vine ensilage to the acre at
ter wheat-a very low estimate, but
this would give 1000, 900 tons. and
1 200, 900 tons corn ensilage. Can
any other conclusion be arrived at
than that i've can feed stock and raise