Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-07-07
ENSILAGE.
VIEWS OF COL. RANDOLPH HARRISON, STATE
COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE.

'Editor Of The Spcctator::-
Z FIN re-publishing from the So. Planter a
most excellent article on ensilage by Col.
Washington, you repeat serious mistake
somehow made by that progressive and gen.
orally accurate farmer-an overestimate of
the feeding value of ensilage There is no
surer way of throwing discredit upon a dis
covery or practice than to claim too
much for it; besides, if beginner regulates
the rations of his animals by that standard,
he will give them only half enough, in gen.
eral, and suffer direct loss in pocket, as we'll
as in being brought to the hasty conclusion
that ensilage won't do; and then the gener
- adoption of this great improvement in
the methods of securing provender may be
retarted. 1t is bound to make its way
sooner or later; and its merits are so great
that it can stand securely upon them with
out fattery.
am sure that Col. Washington, when
his attention is called to this, will cordially
agree with me.
The mistake to which refer is this:-
'Three pounds of ensilage are equal to
two pounds of hay" or, $4,000 pounds of
corn ensilage equal $4,000 pounds of hay.
This is, am sure, just about double it's
real value, Stewart (E. W. in his book on
Cd1tlo-1couiAS, bays W. @SlJ3 dAtcI IuOtAuS
several estimates of the cost of ensilage, and
taking the highest, So per tom
eff we take the latter figure as approx
mating to the real cost, and if we estimate
three tons of properly kept corn-ensilage as
equal in feeding value to one ton of good
hay, then we find it as cheap as hay at Sc
Fer ton in the barn."
Surely this is enough to claim for ensi-
lage-that even when We take the very
highest estimate of the cost of growing and
securing. it is as cheap as hay at So per ton!
The admission of it's inferiority to hay,
pound for pound, means simply that there
is larger percentage of water in it. In
the experiments at Woburn, in England,
one II two of the samples were found to
contain as high as IS per cent. of water
This was maize-ensilage, and it should be
borne ia mind that in that moist climate
the stalks would contain much larger per-
centage of water than would be found here;
especially if the corn is allowed to remain
until the grain is well glazed-too hard for
roasting ears-and this has been found to
be the best stage for securing.
Let me say, before concluding, that it is
to be regretted that no one has tried in Vir-
ginia Gas far as I know ensilaging clover.
l believe the time is coming when nearly
all of it will be preserved in that way. The
effort to cure clover hay is too risky, in this
climate. We have too much rain just at
| that season, three years out of four. The
''silage-stack' method, which is now sue
cessfully practiced in France and in Eng
land, deserves trial here. l myself had
plank gotten, and made arrangements to
try stack of it. but having lost much of
my best clover by high water, would not
~ ho Ssopo;l q in tho omar, ir,3-n IN.
| fortunate change of mind, because all that
I tried to make hay of was spoiled by the
incessant rains. There is no doubt that Isl
| lage stacks" can be, and are, made sue
cess. While there is always some loss on
the outside Of the stack, the percentage is
usually small, and it is fair question
whether it is not more economical to bear
that loss, aud have a stack wherever con-
venient, than to make silO and haul to it,
perhaps from distant field.
In estimating the feeding value of corn
ensilage, weight for weight, as compared
with good hay, as one to three, l have not
forgotten that in a paper prepared by my
self a year ago said it was commonly as
serted TO be as one to two" l have the
authority for that statement. by me now
proceedings of Second Ensilage Congress,
New York, JAN, 1885," 1 am convinced
that this is erroneous. The estimate OF
Stewart and others, of one to three, is more
nearly right-and even this is high praise
for ensilage. The water (sap) which re-
4duces its comparative value, pound for
pound, makes it succulent and acceptable
to cattle, and gives wholesome variety to
the sameness of their dry Winter rations.
Respectfully yours,
RANDOLPH HARRISON,
Cop,,r or