The Progress. [volume] (White Earth, Minn.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-29
UNCUT ENSlLAGE.
How 1t Is Handled on an Extensive New
York Farm.

York Farm.
My silo was filled with uncut corn
August ~, just before the hard frost.
Some of it was small, some large,
stalks laid one way as far as possible
end kept even. AS soon as filed it
Ws.s covered with inch hemlock boards
two thicknesses, and about ten tons of
stone laid on top. Il was opened in
December last and found to be in ex-
cellent condition. The first three feet
on top where the smallest and green
est corn was put was quite acid, but
from there to the bottom of the silO,
the ensilage was in the very
best condition, which shows con-
clusively that the more mature the
corn the sweeter the ensilage will be
and the better food it will make.
My silo is about 16 feet square and rs
feet deep. After settling down, there
was 12feet OF solid corn. cut about
2 feet in width the whole length of
the silo with a broad axe, into pieces
from one to two inches in length; it
takes about half an hour each day IS
cut enough for my stock eleven cows
and six large calves The smaller it
is cut the cleaner they will eat it. |
mix according to Stewards ration,
with one exception have some
straw cut and mixed with the hay.
Stewards ration is 60 pounds corn
ensilage 5 pounds hay, 2 pounds lin
seed meal and 4 pounds of bran.
Cows we're in fair condition and
gave some milk when I commenced to
feed the ensilage ration. which I mix
in layers 5 bushels ensilage, with ]
bushel of bran, and quarts of old
process oil meal, then bushels of cut
hay and straw, moistened, then more
bran and oil meal, ETC., until I have 2
bushels of ensilage and IL bushels CT
hay, which make two feeds, afternoon
and morning, as mix the feed every
morning after feeding the stock. I
have tried both feeding dry and wet
ting the hay, but get best results when
the hay is wet, as bran and Oil meal
stick to it SO that stock have to eat the
whole mess to get the grain. [ feed
about 6 a. M, giving each COW 20
bushels of the mixture, which is all
they will eat; then at 8 in the after
noon | feed again, giving the same
amount of ration.
The COWS commenced to gain in milk
at once, and in two weeks time gave
almost double what they were giving
when first put in the stable. They
have been in their stalls fastened with
chains almost three months; have
been giving milk all the time and gain
ing in. flesh, and some of them are fat
enough to butcher. I do not let nv
COWS out of doors at all, but give them
all they can eat and drink, as can keep
them cheaper that way than by letting
them out doors to shiver in the old
fashioned way.
There is no ensilage wasted; if any
is left from the cows, pran is sprinkled
over it and the hogs eat it all. Slices
have come to stay; many will be built
in this section the coming spring. It
is not necessary to go to any great ex-
pense to build silo unless a person
wishes to, as any building that is
strong enough to withstand the press
ure, boarded and made alright, will
do. and those who have not got cut
ter can put the corn in whole, al
though if the slices are large it will
pay to buy a cutter, as after that is
once paid for the cost Of putting ensi-
lage in the silo is the same. The car
rier saves mems labor, and the time
will soon come when those who own
steam threshers or horsepower will
have cutters to fill slices, and make
that business as we'll. Cor. Coun.
try Gentleman.