The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-08-24
THE Farm.
Farmers, Gardners, Horticuiturists,
Dairy and Stocknen are requested to
vrite for this Department.
Ensilage.

J0nn G0ulo, an emlOeuL WTlteI Ou
agriculture, says on the subject of en-
silage as at present preserved:
"The change that takes place in the
composition Of the food in the silo dur.
ing the ripening stage, is as different
from the old-styled ensilage as the
change that has been made in the
structure of the silo itself. The "sweet"
silage of tradition that all criticism is
silenced, and we now find silage fed to
beef cattle, sheep and hogs, and the
past winter has seen the finest and
most ''fancy" butter sold in New York,
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul,
made from the silage-fed dairies.
"The change that takes place in the
silo pits, is now claimed by our exper-
iment.station directors to be for the
better for by the late development of
heat to 1859 in silo filling, it has been
found that the heat has not consumed
food elements. but that "some of the
cellulose is converted into starch, a
little starch is made into dextrine, then
into glucose" and we get what is known
as "sweet silage,' although ripened si-
lage would be better term, for the
action of the food elements in silage-
making, is more analogous to the ripen.
ing process in apples, and we all know
that ripe apple in preferable to either
a green or dried one. Ifall these things
are uot in favor of the farmer of small
means, it will be ages before closer
contact with the Millennium will be af-
forded him.
"That it is the best of feed for dairy
stock, one has only to read the success
full record of the most noted dairymen,
east and west, and the unanimous tes-
timony in its favor. Those who find
the most objection to silos, are those
who have no experience with them,
and base their objections upon features
of the silo, long ago discarded by silo
men, and which linger to keep alive
"bug bear' which after all, is about as
cheap and harmless prejudice as they
can harbor, for men of investigating
minds will take the direct testimony Of
thousand instead of one who is to
be found disputing their facts.
MAKING THE sILo.
cit may be safely said that the stone
silo has had its day, and the wooden
silo, built with 2x10 inch scantling
frame, lined up inside with two thich-
nesses of inch lumber, with tarred
paper between, the whole, scantling
and all, saturated with boiling pitch, or
gas tar, with per cent of melted resin
in it, has come to take its place, and
will give far better satisfaction. The
want of the day in silos is cheapness,
and durability, both of which are now
secured with the wooden structure. 1t
may yet further be cheapeued by build
ing it inside the barn, for this saves a
roof, and outside cover. 1t then be-
comes box, without top or bottom, for
they need no floor. The clay in the
bottom can be thrown up few inches
on the inside, against the walls and
pounded down, which prevents air from
entering the bottom.
"The boads on the inside lining need
not be matched, just rough boards, II
inches wide. The inside face lumber
had best be surfaced, SO as to prevent
the silage dragging" on the walls when
settling. The boards can be half lap
ped to break joints, and then with the
paper between them, and the hot tar to
fill cracks, and prevent shrinking and
swelling, the walls are cheaply and eff.
fectually made air-tight.
81 now think the double partition
can best be dispensed with, and true
edged planks, the ends let into shallow
grooves on the side walls, are all that
is necessary. They can be easily put
in and taken out as the silo is filled, or
emptied !; and they afford no air cracks
or chambers to bother. The silage on
each side holds the plank in place, and
when once settled, the silage stays COM
pact and does not show any disposition
to spread. Possibly we do not need
any partition in silo l4x2S feet. Fill
in one end one day, and the other the
next, until the silo Is full, and then
cover, When ready ito feed out pull