The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-03-11
ABOUT ENslLAcE.

Valuable Information on This Highly In.
teresting Farm Problem.
Ensilage may be made of any green
forage, but is usually made of green
corn. The silo, the receptacle for the
ensilage-should be air-tight and water
tight, or practically so. The silo can
be constructed of wood, stone or brick.
When brick or stone is used the insids
had better be covered with cement thai
it may be perfectly smooth. II is d
good place to construct the silo partly
under and partly above ground. II
solid soil, silos have been made by
simply digging out trench and board /
ing the sides. Having prepared the
silo, cut the fodder in green state and
cut it up with an ensilage cutter. Thh
done pack it solidly in the silo ani
weight it down with weight equal Il
one hundred pounds to the square foot.
The form of the silo is a matter Of in.
dividual preference and matter ii
be determined by circumstances. II
is said by one writer, even, thai
there is not the least doubt
that sweet ensilage of first rate QUALITY
has been obtained by stacking The
green fodder in the open air and CON.
pressing it well by suitable mcdaniel
or other means. But stack would 70
quire heavier weighing than the silo,
and there are other difficulties which
would prevent us from recommending
that method. It is better, however,,
for every one who thinks of trying
ensilage to do it first on a small scale;
and in that way he can test the varior
methods without much cost. If we
were going to preserve green fodder IN
this way-having first satisfied Our.
selves that we wish to do tive should
construct a substantial silo. We should
do that upon the principle that what
ever is worth doing at all, is worth
doing we'll. Mr.. George Fry, in re-
cent work upon the subject Of ensilage.
in abiding to preserving ensilage In
stacks, while not favoring the plan as
arule, says one thing that our readers
may like to consider. He says that i
he had a field of half-made hay and tad
weather set in, he should not hesitate
to collect it into a stack as rapidly ~
possible, cover in as closely as possible
with boards, thick tarred paper o.
other impervious material, and weight
it as much as circumstances
would allow, not less than abous
three hundred pounds to the square
foot. He says that he should feel as
sured of better results than could %
gained by allowing the fodder to Lie Ok.
posed to the weather. He thinks thai
if the covering was virtually air-tlgns
and the compression sufficient to pre-
vent the air from penetrating more tnsa
few inches at the sides, there need %
no fear of heating.
The proper time to cut green foaaei
for ensilage is while it is in bloom. ~
this time an ordinary plant viii CON.
tain about seventy-five per cent o
moisture. Sometimes for one reason
or another, the crop may be cut Garner
than is here indicated. Obviotaiy,
however, the proper time is when ~
plant contains as small per cent
moisture as it can contain and still p
in a green state. If there is so riacn
moisture in the plant that it can y
pressed out in the silo, the best resu'a
will not be obtained. 1t the plaH y
too ripe, then part of the purpose 2,
ensilage-its succulency-can ncs
accomplished. When the fodder y e.
too young the result will pretty lKe9
be sour ensilage, and such food olgn.
never to be fed In conclusion, EesP
in mind the necessity of having ths ~
practically air-tight, and hence KEEP =
view the necessity of having the uO
to the silo fit closely. WestsrH a'"e-