The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-07-15
Directions How to Manage Ensilage

Directions How to Manage Ensilage
The Southern Fertilizing Company, il
order to throw all the light possible on thu
subject of ensilage for the benefit of oul
farmers, made inquiry of Mr.. G. w. Gar
rett, of Halifax county. N. c., large
stock raiser. and he sent them the follow
ing directions, which will be of great
value to those who contemplate trying the
experiment. We believe it will be of vast
| benefit to our section:
ENFIELD. HALIFAX Co., N. c.. !
December 8, 1885.
My Dear Sr:-I am just in receipt OF
your favor of the 2sth ultimo. inquiring
about my experience with ensilage. I
gladly comply with your request.
| have been putting up ensilage and
feeding it for over five years, and my ex-
| perience causes me to value it more and
more highly as learn how to take care of
of it more cheaply. When built my first
silos, in the summer of 1880, the idea was
that only those built of cement or brick,
| in the ground, would answer the purpose,
and costing at least SIS per ton to build.
Now they are built OH top of the ground,
entirely of wood and earth. and at cost
OF from rs cents to 81 per ton. These keep
the ensiage as well as those constructed
of cement or brick, are much more con-
venient, and involve less labor to feed
from. have two wood sil0s, built in
1881, above ground, and holding 1870 tons.
both costing not more than $l25. the re.
pairs since not exceeding $25, which are
now in order and full of ensiage, and have
been filled every year since they were built.
The contents. without exception. have
been fed in good condition. The silos
built in 1880 (of cement below the ground,
held 125 tons, and cost me about So per
ton. These also have been filed every
year since, sometimes twice year, and
the ensilage was not any better preserved
than in those built of wood. Since | be-
gan to make ensilage, in the fall of 1880, I
have fed my horses, mules and cows al.
most exclusively on it. and have yet to see
any bad results from it on the contrary.
| have been able to keep them in much
better condition than before commenced
its use. In the year 1879. I had nine mules
and horses and about as many cattle, and
besides the long forage could con-
venlently make on my farm, / paid out
over 800 for hay bought by the carload III
Richmond. 1 am now feeding fifteen head
of horses and mules and thirty cattle, and
pay out nothing for hay, and my farm is no
larger now than it was then The extra
manure now produce pays me fully, l am
persuaded, for the cost of the ensilage. I |
use corn and COW pea vines exclusively for
ensilage -the former, as l use it, is
cheaper the latter makes the best ensil.
age
For The past three years l have Teen
II Ing corn constantly for this purpose.
after it was sufficiently matured to sustain
no injury, when the blades we're ripe
enough for fodder. | pull the corn. then |
cut the stalks down to the ground (blades |
on.) haul and cut them in three-qnarter-
inch lengths, and pack in the silo; then
weight it as usual. This makes very
desirable food the stock all like it, and |
| have never seen any bad effects from it.
During the three years named have put
up 100 tons per year from this source. Ny
experience is that land producing five
barrels of corn to the acre will make five |
tons OF ensilage, or a ton to the barrel. I |
regard the ensilage as more valuable than |
the corn. and the cost of putting it into |
the silo is less than seyenty-five cents per
ton. | grow no corn exclusively for ensil- |
age most of it made in the United States |
is from corn grown expressly for the pur-
pose. am of opinion that at the time I |
cut it, it is as valuable for ensiage as at |
any period of its growth hence a great |
saving IN making both crop of corn and |
ensilage. see that others are adopting
this plan to advantage.
My great plant for ensiage is the ordi- |
nary Ii ID or COW pea. OF this put No |
about 200 tons yearly, and it IS greatly pre-
ferred by my stock tn that made of corn.
This pea crop | grow chiefly after wheat |
and oats. l break the land as soon as the |
wheat is taken off. then plant in drills |
three feet apart, eight or twelve peas in a |
hill, using the Eureka corn planter, drop
ping every twenty ne inches side them
up once or twice if need be and grass is |
troublesome plant from 25 of June to the |
10th of July, which gives ample time for
the maturity of the plant for ensilage, |
producing from five to ten tons per acre,
at cost not exceeding $3.50 per ton, and |
worth 25 per cent. more in feed value than |
corn at any stage of its growth. With
this plant properly utilized with the sys-
tenn OF ensilage, the south can feed and |
raise sheep, cattle, mules and horses as
cheaply as any portion of the United /
States, except the very far west. This
fact will be demonstrated some day. I give
to my mules and COWS about fifty pounds
OF ensilage each, per day. l have often
seen published statement that corn stalks
or any other suitable material made good
ensilage without chopping up fine with
cutter. For fear of loss l have been
afraid to try it. A neighbor who built a
silo three years ago had his silo machinery
and cutter burnt up last winter. The silo
was rebuilt last summer and filed with
corn stalks and pea vines uncut. This
ensilage is as good as any have eyer seen
than mine, that was cut fine. | |
shall put up large portion of mine next
year without cutting. This fact renders it |
possible for every farmer who makes
onehorse to put up ensiage, as the
great bar to their doing so was the outlay
of money for cutter, machinery, &c. This
may all be obviated how. The only outlay I
required is the building of silo. at cost |
of not over 81 per ton. and which any one
can do of ordinary mechanical capacity, |
without the help of skilled mechanic. |
Knowing its great value, l earnestly hope |
the southern people will adopt this system.
1t is an outrage, that having such advan
tages we should be so dependent.
That your friends may not go wrong in |
the construction Of the above. ground silo,
1 will give here description of it in de-
tail These silos were built in 1881, and |
have been filled four times, the ensilage
being always we'll preserved. First, dug
a eench for foundation stills, forty-three