The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-08-27

liz yesterdays issue the jacksonville Times
Union, eGiloriaiy speaking, has the following
to say of Leon county Il, advanced stock
raising country
The raising Of improved live stock has re-
ctived a great deal OF attention from the farmers
IF Leon county OF late years, and the increasing
interest they manifest IN this noble industry
proves that they find it sufficiently profitable.
If some Of the model farmers aid stOck.raiseTs f
That county would give the public The benefit Of
their views and experiences through the agricul.
turn columns of the Times L MON, itwould bcne-
fit Middle Florida and the State at large materi-
ally If the proposed Middle Florida Fair be
held there will be display of registered and
graded cattle and OF fine horses. hogs and sheep
that will a,tonish visitors from other counties,
and other States.
The stock raiscrs Of Leon county are fully
abreast OF the times, and therefore they have de-
voted good share of attention to the new method
Of preserving green forage in close receptaclcs
called silos The proprietor OF stock farm near
Tallahassee wrote us under date of August H.
that he had malt file d slo Of 125 tons capac-
itv il being uncut. He stated also tina, MI
Robert Bradford had filled Two slos Of $50 tons
capacity with uncut cnsilage, that Col. Bradford
had put up 100 tons cut, and that Capt. Nason
was about 10 commence filling his sO Capt
Hare and Judge Gwynn were building them
selves each sIo, and Capt. lIOustoun had so
which our correspondent presumed 10 be iull.
II is noticeable that The laboriOus system Of
cutting ensilage is discarded by thcse very intel
| ligcnt farmers, with one exception so lar
| ported. This does away with Il large portion Of
| the labor and expense, and should encourage
| any to make trial of ensllage who has
quantity Of growing forage that cannot readily
be air cured Mr. VIM. B. Schradcr Of the
Waverly stock farm, near Tallahassee, has sue
ceeded very well by merely stacking green
| forage but this is rather risky. 1t is now adj
mitted everywhere that a wooden silo serves rs
| good purpose as one OF brick or stone;
tainiy it is far more easily and cheaply built,
especially here in Florida. The old idea that Il
silo should be filled and covered quickly and
very heavily weighted, has also been much
modified by experience
1t is said on good authority that in Wisconsin
1900 sos were built last year, and that 5000
more are being built this year. This looks like
an ensilage craze. At some of the experiment
stations the comparative value and cost OF ensil
age and dry forage has been carefully studied
and the conclusions arrived at have been some
what against ensilage Where the climate is
favorable To the curing of forage it would seem
that its bulk and weight should be reduced in
the field before hauling TO the barn, but FlOrdas
climate Is not of that character. Besides, our
most available kinds of forage are OF a succulent
nature, and far more difficult to cure than the
products of Northern meadows.
We have little doubt that the silO is destined
to become one Of the chief means of making az
riculture profitable in all parts of Florida. Live
stock is essential to good farming, and in any
populous section their winter feed must be pro
vided in liberal quantity. During the rainy sea-
son this may be grown in abundance, but il is
hardly possible 10 cure it in large quantity.
Here is just where the silo comes in play. Pack
the pen and potato vines. millet, corn and the
like in compact masses within walls that will ex-
clude the air and the rain, and you have store
OF excellent feed that will be relished by cattle
all through the winter and early spring When
Florida can show as many silos as Wisconsin
has she will be wealthy State.