Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-09-03
Agricultural Experiments at the Am-
herst, N ass, station.

The agricultural experiment station at Am
herst under the skillful dictatorship of Prof.
O. A. Goessmanu, says the Springfield Re.
publican is destined to become valuable in.
stitution. All persons interested in farming
will do we'll to watch for the latest news from
the printed bulletins which by the bounty of
the state are scattered free on application.
The bulletin lately issued, a pamphlet of a
dozen pages, is full of interesting matter.
After the meteorological summary, which is
worth preserving for comparison, comes a
record Of observations on fodder corn, an ar
ticle growing greatly in use and appreciation
in all dairy districts. Prof. Goes5manu saws
that he has demonstrated by series of tests
that the dry weight of vegetable matter is 10
creased from 80 to 100 per cent between the
first appearance of the tsssel and the first
glazing of the kernel. This being So the
conclusion seems inevitable that it is extreme
ly wasteful to cut corn and presumably grass
or any other plant, as is often done in its rap
idly growing stages. When the vital energies
of an annual plant cease to be expended in
the increase of its size, the valuable organic
compounds are more rapidly stored in its cell
lular system. The director further says that
the comparative feeding value of fodder
plants is not always to be measured by their
size, but by the quantity of starch, sugar, etc.,
that they Rssimilate and accumulate. Hence
tall stalks of corn, bulky leaves, large sized
vegetables and potatoes, brought from other
sections are often but partly matured, and
thus are found to be watery and insipd. The
man, therefore, WHO selfshly appropriates
the biggest fruits unwittingly overreaches
himself. The maturity of a plant appears to
be of far more consequence, so far as nutri
ton is concerned, than mammoth size or sue
culent growth. Assuming this view to be
correct, much light is thrown upon the intr-
uvh baa
TALLY solved at this station.
Two silos at the agricultural college were
filled early last September with corn fodder
when the kernels had begun to glaze. The
silos were of brick . feet by IA feet inside,
and II feet deep. One was loosely filled with
eight tons of green corn, chopped II inches
in length, and the other contained % tons
and was trodden down. The former stood
nearly week before covering and pressing
and the latter was covered and weighted as
soon as filled. Tarred paper and tight fitting
boards were used for both covers, and 20 bar
.res of sand in each case did the pressing.
registering thermometer buried at a depth
of two feet, gave the temperature The I'M
pressed silo evolved the most heat, and that
within three days after filling. The highest
temperature recorded of the silo first men
toned was 1862 and that of the second llGo
The first silo was opened on the 23d of March
ensilage in both cases was used for milcL
COWS and became the nucleus of a compare.
tive feeding experiment Eighteen inches OF
the top OF the first silo was of a dark color
and unit for fodder, and only six inches OF
the top of the second. The cows seemed tC
like the ensilage from the second silo best
It was of yellowish- green color, somewhat
lighter than that in the first. Prof Goess
mann is of the opinion that exposure to tn,
a In m IA oil of
that therefore the size OF the silo should b,
controlled by the rate of consumption.
The experiment of making ensisge from
apple pomace was tried in two casks of a ca
pacity OF 80 to 60 gallons each. The cask
were filed the last OF October and opened il
May. The pomace was stamped down solid
covered with tarred paper, and weighted will
sand and stone. The material Throughout
was as fresh as when first packed, had a pleas
ant odor and taste, was highly relished by tn
cows, and was considered unchanged in feed
ing value.