The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-08-11
A FARMRpp
How He Builds and Manages His g.,

~ S@ ~AOS,
A reporter, who feels a snoo;,
pride in the neat farms which .,"I
such distinctive and pleasing featu gre
Of Raleigh township, yesterday ae
.joyed very greatly a visit to t II,
well-regulated and productive f,n me
Of DR.. Richard III. Lewis, which ;
just beyond the picturesque viIanNs
of Oberlin. The land is well sitnatsGg
and though it was in poor condit;ouu
when he became its owner, VET vi
has been able by a liberal use ne "e
money, patience and perseverance, 10
secure such results as stamp him w.
a good farmer. Modesty is ratb"S
rare these days, yet DR.. Lewis hs,
more than his share of it and ho
doesn't wish to be considered as
model farmer" Possibly he doc"
not know how good a farmer he is
for his broad acres speak for them
selves and for him too. He has Corn
and peas, which succeeded GOOD
crops Of oats and clover; and tbo
fields which stretch far away to tho
westward are as soft and refresh;nr
to the tired eye as any mountai90
landscape, SO tender and SO general
is their greenness. Just now Dr.
Lewis is busy filling his siIos with
ensilage, and this process is inter.
esting. One silo is full. 1t is double.
twelve feet deep, twenty-four feet
long and twelve feet wide and holds
100 tons of ensilage. The other sio
is seventy-three feet in length, thir.
teen feet deep and ten feet wide.
This is it's depth in the earth. 1t is
excavated neatly. From the ground
level board walls rise to a height Of
five feet. The planks are painted
with crude petroleum. At one com.
partment of this silo a small cutting
machine, operated by a three-horse
power machine, was cutting corn
stalks into inch lengths. Through
a chute the materiala as cut was poured
into the silo, where two men torkcd
it out and kept the general surface
level. The machine cuts thirty tons
a day. The ensilage is Of corn. The
stalks are cut just as the ears begin
to harden. 1t is then mature and
yields the best results. 1t is hauled
to the cutter in wagons, and yester-
day seven wagons were kept busy
supplying the one cutting machine.
The small silo (already filled) holds
100 tons, and the large one which is
being filled holds 225 tons. When
filed, each compartment is covered
with planks, upon which are stones
to weight them down. The %ensiIage
shrinks, losing about one-third in
volume. 1t need not be covered at
all and will not spoil. The big sO
is cheaply constructed, of ordinary
timber, with clapboard roof. Water
can not run into it, as drainage is
provided for all rainfall. The 100
tons in the filled silo were cut from
six and one-half acres of fairly good
land. 1t is calculated that two and
half tons of ensilage are equal a ton
of good hay sc that the 100 tons
which these six and half acres yield
ed equal forty tons Of hay. If put
in hay the land, which was hillside,
would not, with the best of seasons,
have yielded over one and a hall
tons Of hay an acre. 1t cost Dr.
Lewis $3.50 a ton to put this ensI-
lage in the filled silo; that including
seed: planting, cu~ltivating, manur-
ing, cutting and packing and inter
est on the silo. The small silo Is
filled with corn ensilage. Two COM
partments Of the large one will be
also. The third compartment in the
latter will be filled with peas. These
will be put in without cutting. IN
ensilage corn DIR. Lewis has twenty
three acres, and ten in milo-maize:
There r many interesting sights
on DR.. Lewis farm besides the sllos'
His beautiful cattle, Guernsey thor
oughbreds, are as pretty as one coulg
wish to see. They are well caTeu
for and stand in tidy stalls. inc
calves are kept in a lot neal inc
dairy and it is one of the farm Signs
to e the little fellows feeding. But
termilk is their favorite beverage
and on it they are fed literally. Inc.
are never allowed to suck the COWS
DIR. Lewis prefers the Guernsey 10
the Jersey cattle. He likes then
larger size and thinks them the Des'
butter-makers. DR.. Lewis has mao0
many sensible and labor-savlng I'LL.
DrOYemantS all entirely practical, aV