Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-03-19
Well Worth, Reading.

from G. w. Palmer in reference to en-
silage will believe be read by all your
subscribers with interest.
In reference to Silos, it may be said
that they need be by no means as costly
as Mr.. Palmer's unless the farmer de-
sires it to be so. Anyone having
bank barn can prepare silo for 100
tons of ensilage at very little expense,
and any farmer who has corn growing
that will make 40 bushels to the acre
if he will cut it two weeks before the
regular time, or when just beginning
to harden, run it through cutter, re-
ducing the whole stalk. ear and all 10
half-inch lengths and pack it in silo,
can procure 100 tons from 4 acres
This packed in by tramping and then
covered with some good straw and
weighted by inch boards and then stone
put on to 200 to 800 pounds 20 the
square foot will produce food as good
as grass for his cows and young cat
D. D. PENDLEToN.
SALTvILLE, Va, Feb. 9. 1856.
D. d. PENDLEToN, Eso.-Dedr Sir
am in receipt Of your favor of the 9th
inst. and note contents. | am using3
silos. They are AZ feet by 80 feet, l6
feet deep, the three holding 1900 tons OF
green food. Two of my silos are made
of wood, locust posts put in the ground
feet apart and lined up on the inside
with rough plank, then layer of tar
paper and another lining of rough plank
put over that so as TO make them air
tight. run a partition through the
middle dividing the silo into two parts,
being l6 by AZ feet, and | build them on
a side hill so that on one side the floor
is foot above the ground and on the
back side the ground comes up within
about feet of the top Of the silo, thus
enabling the corn to be put in from the
upper side, placing the cutter on
platform. | use a Ross No. IL cut
ter with a carrier which lands the cut
ensilage near the middle of the sllo.
| then tramp it with 2 horses which go
in at the lower door and remain in
the silo till it is filled, going out at
the upper side. My wooden silos cost
me $500 each. My other one AZ by 81
feet with partition in the middle built
of stone on same kind of hill cost $500.
have never put up any thing but
corn from the fact that | could get so
much better yield from it than any
other crop. Land that will bring 6O
bushels of corn per acre will make
from 80 to 40 tons of green food per
acre. | have tried both ways and am
inclined TO think that corn planted in
the regular way, perhaps a little
thicker, and allow it to get very near
ripe before cutting, say 10 days or two
weeks before you ordinarily cut up
the corn. In this way the ensilage Is
much sweeter and the corn in it makes
feed that will keep cattle in good fair
condition, perhaps gaining little Ill
weight without any extra feed. VI
course to fatten cattle we feed extra
corn and cotton seed meal. My estl-
mate is that this feed including corn
and all costs 81 per ton packed in the
silo. l feed large cattle about 20 lbs.
per day; and if they are to go TO mar
ket in April or May LIST would add all
OF meal or cotton seed meal they could
digest. In this way cattle will gain as
much as they will on grass. and find
it much cheaper way to winter cattle.
cut the ensilage three-eighths OF an
inch long. The Ross cutter No. II run
with an horse power engine will cut
100 tons per day but it is full as well to
cut slower, and more convenient on
small farms. There are five or six par
ties in this county that filled silos last
fall and all are pleased with it.
do not feed any hay, and yet be-
lieve that a feed OF hay in the middle of
the day would be a good thing. A.
you know, cattle like a change of feed,
no matter how good it is. Cattle In
summer on fine grass will 90 to straw
rick and eat a good deal of it. Some of
our old people think am crazy on the
subject of ensilage, but think L can
stand it if they can. In my opinion as
soon as its value is understood all pro-
gressiye men will adopt it. The ma
jority of people in our country buy or
have two-year steer in the fall weigh
ing 1000 lbs. They allowihim to run
out during the winter TO straw stack,
or feed him corn fodder, and in the
spring the same steer will not weigh
over 500 lbs, and when he goes on grass
il takes him month before he begins
to improve much. | am very sure that
sort of thing does not pay. We have
one of the largest Registered shorthorn
herds of cattle in the world, numbering
45O head. While we have not ensilage
enough TO winter all of our stock we
shall prepare for it another year. Shall
build two more silos the coming year
and pasture grass my meadows, thereby
being enable to keep a much larger
number of cattle. 1 send you by this
mail one of our catalogues issued two
wears ago. We shall send out another
catalogue before very long. If | can
give you any further information il
will give me pleasure to do so.
Yours truly,
GEO. w. PALMER.
In the Dairy Interest.