The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-03-29
The Egis &Intelligencer
Bel Air. Md, March 20, 1859.
WILMA FARM EKs' CLUB.

Reported for The .Egis.
- on Wednesday evening. March 18th, the wilma
Farmcrs' club were entertained ut the home Oi
Mr. Joseph Hoskins who resides with his father,
Mr. Jesse Hoskins. Two of our own mem bers
by the Or essence Of Mr. Charles Vale, a member
OF the new Forest Hill Farmers Club, and Mr..
Emmor Morrison; the well-known and enter
All things were found in admirable order, ard
the surroundings seemed those OF thrifty, sue
fccsfu farmer. The barn Is large and cOnVcn-
tent. Stables for stock warm but not too close.
we saw some fine heiters, Holsten and Shoe
maker The horse FlOrent excited general ad-
miration. Though native Frenchman, ne SEEM
ed perfectly accIimated and quite at home:
Pure water is supplied to both house and barn
by natural flow, in iron pipes from netghbprinR
spring, an incstmable advantage over all cis-
terms, pumps and wells. II may prove sugRcs-
tive to state that for all the years tho place had
been home Il was never ascertained, If suspect
ed, that this fine spring. about 80 perches from
the house, was high enough TO give natural
How to the door. A slight elevation. knoll,
rises between the house and spring, whose
waters by a natural depression. not In the direc-
ton OF the house, make their way towards Win
ter's Run. A few years ago the writer, in sur
vryinR expedition, happening on the place with
n dwelling instrument. II was proposed by some
one that tho test should be made TO see If the
spring were not as high as the base OF the dwell
ing. The intervening hill helped TO deceive the
eye and the great majority of guesses were Rd-
verse. The writer has found that there is no
more doubtful thing to guess upon; the general
ltyof the land the course OF the streams iniluenc-
ing the Judgment OF the observer. In other wOrCs,
to have your head level" is rare gift BY
hGsty survey Il was found that the water would
run into the kitchen. After an interval OF
couple OF years, probably, MIR. Jesse ilOskins
called on the writer TO go down and resurvey, that
a great ma iority of those who had viewed the
ground could not believe that the water would
run TO the house, and that probably some error
had been made. On arepetition OF the survey
the same result was arrived 1T. The hill was now
dug through. the pipes were laid, and a great and
lasting comfort secured. There may be springs
on many places, whose waters would run to the
house ir invited to do so, which now neglected
pursue wild and wastefuI career.
After two evenings of reading and discussion
the club remains yet at sea on the silo question.
Can there he any more nourishment in Il load
of green fodder than the sane properly cured. as
only the water evaporates in curing? The gain
must be in the fact that the cattle will eat the
stalks and all, when soft and damp from the sio,
hut will not eat them when dry, even when cut.
1t 10 possible that in the fermentation which
ensues. some nutritious conversion takes place
IN the substances of pith Of the stalk.
At first We were advised to pl Mt the corn for
ensilage so thick that the ear would not form
Now the ensilaRe men say, plant as for a
crop OF corn. and when the kernel is glazed and
the leaves begin to dry on the edges, pass the
entire crop through the power cutter into the
silO. Now the total corn crop is to be fed from
the silo. If the quality of the corn is not injured
by the Fermentation here is a gain. We save the
husking and lotting, we save the hauling and
grinding, the husks certainly, IL not the COP and
1t is stoutly maintained that three tons Of ensi-
lage are worth a ton of good hay and that the
twenty to thirty tons which they secure from an
acre are equivalent TO from six TO ten tons of
hay
The subject seems worthy the attention of
Maryland farmers, who must certainly look
about sharply IT they are to sustain themselves
in the great competition with the conditions of
low western frelghts and costly fertilizers all
against them.
As early as 1875 in n series OF experiments made
In France 1t was maintained that three cows
were fed from a silO where only one could be fed
before. 1t is stated that 10000 silos are now in
use in the United States that 200 were built
last year in Wisconsin.
We see directions in all farmers papers both for
wooden silos and for those Of masonry The man
point lie, keep the air out. Free admission Of air
would, as in NOV of green clover hay, result
In a destructive fermentation. For this reason
give more depth than breadth, as the top is neces-
sarily exposed. Have the sides smooth, so that
the mass can be pressed down against them
While considering the subject IL occurred to the
writer, that the great ice house of his nCighhor,
Mr.. d. =. iOllingsworth, afforded the very best
conditions for silO. II Is a circular pit ~ feet
deep and - feet diameter, walled with brick, aud
al As lbs TO the cubic foot said to be the average
crop of from to acres. The total cost Of this
ice house, not counting the wooden lining I'M
necessary for enSagc, was about $3.50 The ens-
lHRe could be raised ia he raises his ice. A horse,
suspended on its track, few pounds draft will
take 1t to any point IL naturally occurs to the
indOent man, that The ensilage harvest would
be about tho heaviest and most lahOrous har-
vest OF the year, III the corn is getting too ripe,
II frost inpends,) but II we can raise the equi-
vaient OF eight tons OF hay TO the acre. ana at
the same time make proportionaely more
manure, the cause IL worth some outlay.
! should STATE that there was read at a late
meeting of the club what seemed to be a reliable
statement from ncghboring part of Pennsyva-
MIA that the corn grown on lB}s acres, fed from
silo, kept 10 head Of mature animals many of
them milking cows, six months, Il slight feed of
hay being given twice week. G.G.C.