The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-07-19
Tine Egis & Intelligence
Bel Air, Md, July 10, 1889.
DEER CREEK FARMERS CLU


silos aud Ensilage.
The Deer Creek Farmers Club held their July
meeting, on the 18th instant, at WinstGne. the
the outskirts OF Darlington. Mr. James W Hanna,
President was in the chair. with Mr., George X.
Stephenson Secretary. The other active members
lochary, VIM: b. Hopkins, Wni. Munnikhuy sen.
John Moores, Edward + MoorrS John b, Wysong.
MeSsrs Edward NJ. Allen. +. X. Williams and
caleb Emlen, honorary members &c.
Messrs. Wysong. Hopkins and Munnlkhuysen.
the committee appointed to inspect the buildings
and premises were accompanied On their rounds
by the entire club. The buildings aud grounds
were found In perfect order, supplied with every
convenience They were shown patent hay and
gram caps, four feet across, made of prepared
paper, Of saucer shape, with corrugated sides, to
out rain. Mr.. Smiths garden in which beauty
and utility are admirably combined. was pro
nOunccd The finest in the county. 1t containcd
vegetables OF all kinds, in a thrifty and forward
condition, the rows being agrceably incrSpcrscd
with flowers of varied hues.
"WmstOnen is one of the handSOmeSt country
seats la Maryland ItcOntalnS thirty acres of land
in the highest state OF fertility: The house an ee-
giant stone mansion, is situated on an ennence
and is the centre. as 4 were, OF magnificent am
phitheatre, bordered by wooded hills From It's
line porchcs an extended view iSobtained Of a
scene Of pastoral beauty uneXcelltd anywhere.
The committee said II was surprising how much
Mr.. Smith had aCcOmpl Shed in Il few years in what
was once "A neglected field full of hriarS lie built
The rapdiiy of their growth and the splendid lawn
;,ttestcd the good quality Of the soil.
The subject selected for discussion was "SuS.'
None of tie members Of the club have had any
experience in the construction Of SilOS or the using
ot ems lase. and accordingly at the last meeting Il
committee. consisting OF McSsrS. ID. &. Wharton
Smith. John MnoreS and James Lee, was appoint
ed to examine silos already in use and report to
the club their Impressions concerning them.
Mr.. Smith said he had heretofore "A somewhat
confused idea OF sO, hut had visited the farm Of
Mr.. VIM. Il, Harvey, prominent member Of the
Fttth
where lie saw one III course OF construction
III the most approved style. based upon
practical experiments affair is very Sim
lie has two Of them, along side ut his
barn under the bridge way. one is Is by
u lect and ~ feet deep. Together they hold "a.
tons of Cnsllagc.
ii is important Ia get good timbcrs for brariug
sure. and il is especially important to make the
corners very strong. After the Limbers are framed
aud strongly hraccd. hrmlOCk boards ten inches
wide are nailed closely together on them. hrmIpck
being preferred To any other wood because rats viii
not guaw through it, a coating Of tarred paper
over it. Next another layer Of h"mlock board, l.,
nailed on. the object being to make the sides per
frcly air-tight 1t is very important To have tile
not catch on projections and thus leave open
spaces in the pit. For this reason it IS better to
have the corners broken. Before any OF the boards
are nailed on they should be sprinklrd literally
with crude petroleum. which should b. spread
evenly over the sides and edges with Il whirwaSh
brush This is to preserve the wood No floor is
necessary. The SiIO may be built on the grOunh.-
Ii built u stone or brick no timber at all should be-
used rs the two can not he combined successfully
to keep out the air. The cost Of these two sIlOS
was less than $500
4 large cnsilage cutter is used to cut the corn
carrier. 1t is spread evenly as it is put IN and at
might Is lefi piled up LITTLE IN The middle, It
portion is put in the corners.
The idea that it is necessary to weight the silo
after it is filled IS exploded. The silO may he com
pletely filled with the enSilage or may be topped
with chaif or straw From SIX to ten inches Of the
top will spoil and this makes seal as ii were en-
Guiding the air from the portion below, as the scum
Spoilng by contact with the air. Tile cnsilage is
gotten ont at the side. where doors are made which
can he,removed one BY one as the el>ilage is used
Mr. Harvey planted "A acres of Bount's Prolific
Corn, In rows 3 feet inches apart the stalks
averaging eight inches in the rows. 1t is cut close
ear state. When taken out system of boxes or
troughS conveys it to the lower part of the barn for
the cattle; No cover is necessary except 10 keep
Ensilage said Mr.. Smith, is very succuent and
far better than roots. II is AN economical method
than on anything else and COW, yield more milk
and Il larger per cuntagc of solids than on any other
food. 1t is OF advantage to use with ensiIagc bran
or cotton seed meal. 10 obtain albumin0idS Ii
must be Il good thing or Il would not be growing
in popularity as it is. In Wisconsin silos are deem
ed Indispensable
the Maryland Experimental Station and the other
on the farm Of isncighhor Mr.. J. Lawrence Ne
dry at the bottom. To secure the latter II must
be above ground. At the Experiment
tai station the csilage is thrown into little ear
mixed with meal and taken directly to the cattle
trOnghS II is of rude constructions made Of brick
lined with boards placed on end. The cnsilagr is |
rut out Of doors and carried To the silO whcrcil |
man rams II down 1t was not weighted. About |
Mr MsGor"s& X sp twenty feet from hi, sta
1t would be better. he thought, TO have it in the
barn. II has three courses of boards ON it, II has
doors opening at the bottom, the enSilHge being
cut out a slice at a time. Mr.. Mccormick was |
satisfied with the arrangement and said the ens
lage caused u much greater yield of milk
than any other feed. He fills the silo. which
j. twelve or fourteen feet square and sixteen deep
In four or five days, and enough Is taken out in the
morning to use all day. one advantage of cnS
When converted into ensila.r. A dairy can not
now he run successfully without ems lagr One
acre OF corn converted INTO cnSllage he considered
worth three acres in fodder Th" corn should he
cut when the grains begin to glaze. at which time
it contains all the elements OF nutrition il would
have II allowed To rpcn.
Edward T. MUores thought SluS could he made
air-tight and enstlagc would hca great saving Of
feed.
Thomas lochary said all stock do better on "A
variety of Iundand cnsagr. being Sucrulrmt. would
afford variety. Where - farmer can raise from Il
la ~ barrels ul corn and dn bundles of fodder Ia
the acre and save il in the ordinary Way. h. did
not think anything rnhld be better or cheaper for
our main feed
Edward NJ Allen had great confidence in the be-.
lrl that # you have ground producing the ordl ary
quantity Oi corn and sell the corn and fodder,
and invest the money IN bran YOU would have
more feed than You would get from en>ilagc.
. Inc President suggested that stock could not
live on bran alone. MIR. Allen thought they c0uld
He had seen so which was nothing but pit dug
In the ground. and it was Il perfect success.
Wa. Munikhul~c sen knew nothing of ~ilnS from
his own experience. but had read an account q, Il
rannrr who cut II ditch through his barn tOntrO,
dutch. for that purpOSr cut it ont four feet Wide
hllrd it with rob> and hnSkS. covered ii With boards
fastened up one end with door the other end h,-
ing III hill. and the cn'agr kept perfectly In
SilaGr is good for milk COWS. but with butter at N
cents a pound and no market Tor milk he dpubt.i
Mr.. Allen said people who exercised some judg-
mcnt had tried and approved it and that is the best
lest that ii would pay.
John H. WysOng said cu~ilagc is no longer "A
mpotrd question aS food Tor milk COWS. lie did |
not think would do for lattrnng beef cattle I'M
less nllNrdMith bran or other dry food. The mum |
per OF SlIoS Is increasing rapidly and no one who
has tried one has given il up. The first >ilO> were
built under ground, with stone walls. The cnSlagc
being tramprd in and heavily weighted Now they |
ARE built above ground.
George H. Stephenson said he was interested in |
the question. The fact that 50 many tIDirymrn
have Slos and feed ensilagc proves concliSiyclv |
that 1t Is an economical feed English farmers |
gave attention to feeding cattle before the Amrr |
Sil0s were first conducted in France on strictly |
scientific principles and II was proven that clsiIag
Is Il valuable lctu. Inc more SucCurnt the food |
D cattle is in winter the better results we will have
II you can make more butter fromenSilagr YOU can
also make more fat. EnSilage is the most rcunn- |
mical way of preparing and curing feed. The |
matter is no longer an experiment \ neigh. ,
Dor, Mr.. Ambrose Cooley who is a Gamer told |
HIM that his corn cOhS and hSkS had been thrown
out and tramped by his stock into Il compact mass |
In the winter the stock 10 this pile, turn ii over
and cal this apparently rotten stun with great |
relish.
Mr. James Il. Krnly described Mr. Charles 4 |
Mctiaws method Of keeping his corn rOhS aud |
luiSRS. They were thrown into Il gully or low place
through which the terms passed back and forth |
between the fields and the canning house. They |
became closely packed and III the winter the tdp |
was thrown OF and underneath was Il srccuent |
mass. which all of his stock ate.
A committee, consisting Of McSsrs. John MoorcS |
WIN. AlnnnikhuySen and James Lee was appointed |
to draft resolutions with regard To to the death Of
DR.. James NJ. Magraw, an honorary member Of the
club.
Our Bush River Neck Letter.