Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-09-13

loose stalks were inconvenient to
handle, could not be packed closely
enough in the sil0. and were extremely
difficult to get oat and to handle when
they were out, and when they were fed
q large proportion was wasted. II we
are to go back to this stage of the
practice and there is nothing better,
then ensilage is delusion and snare
and its abolition should be prayed for.
But this present talk is ssseuseless
chatter" and no person who is now US.
ing a silo under the best present prac-
tice will be induced to listen to it. The
evil Of the vice. as the old philosopher
calls 1t, is that some persons may DO
misled by it to undertake Che practice
at q point which was discarded fifteen
years ago, and so become wholly de-
ceived and Disguised with what Sc @
useful and ia some cases an 9ndispensas
bic practices The present ssatuSof zee
silage isas perfect as could be reasons
ably expected The method is simple
and economical The silo is simply q.
wooden box made air tight, or suffis
Giently so 70 prevent the passage OF
air into Or out of IL under ordinary cir6
cumstances, and supported by frame
strong enough to Withstand the press
sure of the contents as the fodder set
ties down, or in fact frame building
lined inside only with double boarding
and cogered joints and air-proOf build
ing paper between the boards, having
a tight, dry floor and a good roof. The
FODDER, of whatever kind it may be,
is sacked into this receptacl8 so
closely as to exclude air; and
the clover, short grass, or such
fodder as will not tangle together,
is packed in as it is drawn from the
field. Corn, rye and other long fodder
are cut into such lengths as are used
for feeding. The fodder may be fresh
Or partly dried, and corn may stand in
the shock in the field for month, or
the ears may be husksd when in the
right condition and the fodder then
sliced. But whatever kind of fodder
is put in, time is given for it to heat
as much as it will, from one hundred
and forty degrees to one hundred and
eighty degrees, and care is taken that
this heat may spread all over and into
the corners as well. To secure this
point octagonal or hexagonal silos
may be used with advantage. The
fodder may be put in day by day dur
ing a week Or ten days and as long as
the heat is kept up. When all is in,
no pressure is required, only the air
must be excluded and a covering
of cut straw or air-prOof roof
paper over which double boards
are placed is all that is required.
When the silo is opened the covering
is taken off and the fodder used from
the top downward. While it is being
used nothing is necessary to be done
to protect it; it remains uninjured
during the short exposure to the air.
This is very simple. There is no
waste labor; the cutting of the fodder
is really an economy, and, as it is a
waste to feed long fodder at any time,
it may as well be cut before it is put in
the fodder as after it is taken out; and
rather. as the cutting is more easily
and completely done when the fodder
is green and fresh, and the mass heats
more easily and completely when it is
cut small and packed close.
Ensilage thus made is quite sweet,
and free from all acid or vintrous odor
or flavor 1t loses no part of its nutri-
tious value; indeed. it is undoubtedly
improved in digestibility by the heat
ing which it undergoes. and the small
actual loss supposed to be occasioned by
the heating is more than made up by
this increased digestibility.-N Y.
Times.
Minced Beef.-Three pounds of raw
beef chopped fine, five crackers
rolled fine. two well beaten eggs. one
and one-half teaspoonfuls of pepper.
three slices of salt pork chopped. one
half cupful Of milk, salt to taste, and
. little sage; mix all thoroughly. and