The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-25
Improvements in Agriculture.

HI
The most useful improvement of the
past year is certainly the adaptation of
the silo for the curing of sweet ensilage
When it is known that in the State of
Wisconsin alone more than 1000 silos
have been built and brought into use the
past year, fair idea of the value and
Importance of the discovery how to avoid
the acid fermentation OF ensilage becomes
apparent. Formerly ens;lage was sour
and had an acid, alcoholic odor and flavor,
and its opponents never tired of making
sarcastic illusions to it as sauerkraut and
sour mash. No doubt the sour food was
Objectionable, and had q bad effect upon
the milk and butter made from cows fed
upon it. The condensers of milk found
its effect very pernicious, and refused to
accept milk from dairies where it was
used. By mere accident it was discovered
that, when the cut fodder was left loosely
in the silo to ferment and acquire heat
of 140o to 1907, and was then protected
from the air by air-tight covering and a
light pressure, it remained sweet and no
vinous or acetic fermentation occurred in
it. This fact was quickly turned to ac-
count and its importance realized, and as
it was made known at the farmers meet
ings and through agricultural journals.
the new process became popular, and it
is probable that at least 10, OO1 silos were
constructed on the improved principle
within year.
EnsilaSe is unquestionably most con-
yenient and economical practice, and in
taking the place of dry curing of corn
fodder, it adds largely to the feeding
value of this, our most productive crop
Hence this improvement. which will
have an important bearing upon the
prosperity and profit of agriculture, is
worthy Of note as being an incident of
the past years progress of considerable
importance.
Very satisfactory progress has been
made in our knowledge and practice in
feeding and in growing crops. The
work done in the various experiment
stations has been productive Of much
valuable experience and information,
while the experience of farmers gained
the past year through the unc> amplcd
dry season has afforded new and NEST
emphatic proof of the usefulness of
drainage. The work Of experiment
stations has shown the great value OF
these institutions, while the advantages
of the farmers institutes have been most
conspicuously exhibited. The expert
en>e of the past year will beyond doubt
lead TO the permancncy of these met
ings and large increase in their num-
Der.
Draining wet land has been so loug cs-
tablshed as standard farm practice that
it might seem no further experience could
add to its value But the most serious
drought over large part of the Central
States has proved its usefulness even in a
dry season. The most emphlti reports
have been made of the safety OF the crops
grown apon drained land, while these
upon land n3t drained were wholly
parched aud destroyed. Sometimes fa' IS
are too much for theory, and even for
scientific reasoning. And it seems as
though in this instance logic aud theory
have been set aside by the cold bare facts.
The greenest and most prolific fields
have been those having tiled underdrains,
thus showing that the porosity of the
dldihCo sui lldS dDSNl hlohSsulC iiclt
the subsoil, aid the porous soil has been
Jess heated and has held its moisture
logger than the undraincd land. This
fact is of sufficient importance to be men
toned as one of the notable lessons of
the past year.
In looking back over the past few years
we find some most noteworthy improve
ments to record, which OH the who e have
greatly changed the condition of agrieui-
ture for the better The binding har-
vesters. the silo, the drain-digging ma
chimes, the concentrated fertilizers, the
increased means OF transportat:on on by rail
and by sea, the increase of the best-bred
live stock all these have greatly re-
duced the cost of producing crops and
dairy and meat products: and althoag
the market values have been reduced, yet
q satisfactory balance in favor of the
farmer has been left.-Neu York Times.
Farm and Garden Notes.