The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-03-25
Ensilage for Stock.
REMEDY FOR HARD TIN1Es-LET OUR FAR
MERs PONDER THE SUGGESTIONS CON
TANNED HEREIN.

TANNED HEREIN.
We wish to urge most carefully up
on our farmer friends the importanc
of putting up "ensilago every year
with which to feed their stock. Elk
perience has proved it to be the bes
and cheapest food that can be fed t.
cattle, and every farmer ought to us,
it. The silos are buildings, formerly
pits, in which the green food (callet
ensilage) is kept. In order that ou1
farmers may know how to make thei,
silos we copy the following lette,
written to the Richmond Dispatch by
MIR. c. w. Garrett, of Halifax county
North Carolina. He relates his own
experience and his letter ought to be
carefully read, and every farmer
ought to build one OF moro silos. The
following is Mr.. CARROTS letter:
ENFIELD, HALIFAX COUNTY, N. c.,
December 3, 1885.
My DEAR SIR:-I am Just in receipt
OF your favor of the 9th ultimo, in
curing about my experience with en-
silage. [ gladly comply:
L have been cutting up ensilape
and my experience causes me to value
it more ald more highly rs 1 learn
how to take care 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 pur-
pose, and costing at least $5 per ton
to build. Now they are built upon
the top Of the ground, entirely of
wood and earth, and at cost of rs
cents to 81 per ton. These keep the
ensilage as we'll as those constructed
of cement or brick, and much more
convenient, and involve less labor to
feed from. [ have two wood silos,
built in 1881, above ground, and
holding 18O tons, both costing not
more than $125, which ore now in
good order and full of ensilage, and
have been filled every year since they
were built. The contents, without
exception, have been fed in good con-
dition. The silos [ built in 1880, (of
cement below ground), held 1875 tons,
and cost me about So per ton. These
also have been filled every year since
sometimes twice year-and the
ensilage was not any better preserved
than in those built of wood. Since
began to make ensilage, in the fall o.
1880, [ haYe fed my horses, mules ant
COWS almost exclusively on it, ant
, have yet to see any bad results from
it; on the contrary, have been abb
= to keep them in much better cCndi
. ton than before [ commenced it's use
In the year 1879 I had nine MILE
3 and horses, and about as many cattle
and besides the long forage L coulc
! conveniently make on my farm, I paic
out over 500 for hay, bought by th,
| carload in Richmond. 1 am now
feeding fifteen head of horses anC
mules and thirty head of cattle, ant
pay out nothing for hay, and my
farm is no larger than it was then
The extra manure L now produce
pays me fully, I am persuaded, fol
the cost Of the ensilage. / use corn
and cow-pea vines exclusively for en-
silage the former / use is cheaper
the latter makes the best ensiage.
For the past three years L have
used corn constantly for this purpose,
after it was sufficiently matured to
sustain no injury, when the blades
were ripe enough for fodder. / pull
the corn, then cut the stalk down to
the ground-blades on-haul and cut
them in three-quartcr inch lengths,
and pack in the silo; then weight as
usual. This makes q very desirable
food; the stock all like it, and I have
never seen any bad effects from it.
During the three years named have
put up 100 per year from this source,
My experience is that land producing
five barr els of corn to the acre will
make five tons of ensilage, OF 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 seventy-fve cents per ton.
grow no corn exclusively for enslage;
most of it made in the United States
is from corn grown expressly for the
purpose. L am of the opinion that at
the time [ cut it it is as valuable for
ensilD 80 as at any period Of its growth
Hence q great saving in making a
crop of corn and ensilage-I SEQ that
others are adopting this plan to ad-
vantage.
My cr-at plant for ensilage is the
or9iAury field or cow-pea. Of this
put up about 200 tons yearly, and it
is greatly preferred by my stock to
that made Of corn. This pea crop
grow chiefly after wheat and oats.
break the land as soon as the wheat
is taken off, then plant in drills three
feet apart, eight to twelve peas in q
hill, using the Eureka corn planter,
dropping every twenty inches; side
them up once or twice, if need be and
grass is troublesome; plant from the
25th of juno to the 10th Of July, which
gives ample time for the maturity of
the plant for ensilage, producing from
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