The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-07-02

wooden silo was nearest frost-proof,
kept it's contents in the best state of
preservation, and if properly built and
painted with some good wood preser-
vative it would last for years. The
silo. with lathed and plastered interior,
was also largely endorsed, while those
who had the double boarded silos
painted with gas tar or a~sphaltum
paints declared them good enough.
| Not a man voted for stone or concrete
silos, although several who had such
were present.
That a frost on the standing fodder
worked any great injury to the after
| silage does not seem to be borne out
bv the facts. That a frost does no
harm would not be true, but that it
does considerable damage is disputed.
That silage should be absolutely free
from rain water when put in was not
considered essential. Thousands of
loads of fodder, dripping with rain
water, went into the silos last fall, and
no n can tell such silage from that
not wet. The heating of the pits
e~vaporates the surplus moisture if the
covers are left off for three or four
days after the pits are filed. The
silage in any event will be the better
for this last feature. The silo is the
only system that allows the putting up
of a wet crop.
Weighing was wholly ignored; as
remarked by Secretary L. N. Benham,
"let the silage settle itself and then
cover enough to prevent contact with
the air" With this some who never
covered their silos at all disagreed.
They found that only a few inches,
not over three, moulded and so matted
that it formed a perfect air-proof
cover. In the pits, straw-covered,
the air and gas found egress, and by
the time the heat cooled down the
straw, by heat and dampness, had
matted and prevented the entrance of
air.
That the man who built a good
sized silo, and used silage along with
the other feed raised on the farm, had
been enabledtodouble his stock hasbeen
confirmed over and over again; that
succulent food could be fed in the
winter with manifest profit, if warm
barns and stables we're provided, was
made clear. That silage fed judicious-
ly made "good, rich and healthy
milk" was attested to by DR.. Ashman,
the city health officer of Cleveland,
after 5000 examinations of milk.
That COWS had eaten silage year after
year and were still healthy and in
possession of their teeth" was shown
to be true. That any i'll effects from
silage feeding could be shown was not
attempted.
That ten tons of silage was ample
roughage for a COW for one year was
admitted by all, and that twenty tons
can be secured from an acre. Many
had grown larger crops of silage than
that. That on good silage and a little
bran young stock would make summer
growth through the winter was proven
fair and square. Many fed silage to
horses and colts with profit. That it
is the best of food for sheep, especially
ewes with young lambs, was testified
to by several, and Secretary J.. S.
Woodland, of New York, tells me that
he has never fed anything of ."hot.
house " lambs for the market.
The matter of silage freezing did
not come up for discussion, as none
had ever eel frozen silage. In zero
weather it may be we'll to keep the
surface covered with old blandkets or
some straw; but the object would be
to have the siIage warm for the stock,
not that any chill or freeze could de.
stroy feeding value.
No other plan can harvest and pre-
serve a corr crop with so little lost;
as n speaker said, If all conditions
were equal, [ would not build a silo.
But they are not, nor can they be
made so, and the issue is in favor of
the silo, for then the work is begun, |
and completed in the one job of silo
filing. Corn fodder secured, corn
husked, milled, ETC., all at the one
time. Care rs we may for fodder by
all ways there is great waste at best.
The silo has the advantage at every
point. John Gould, an Weekly Press.