The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-07-24
Make EnSiIa1e.

The GOLD LEAF has heretofore en-
deavored to impress upon its farmer
friends the value and Importance of en-
silage as feed for stock. 1t is cheaper
and better than anything else and
should receive more attention than it
does. Our people in this section do
not pay enough attention to stock rails
ing and the saving of manure. OF
course If we raise the stock, the manure
is. natural consequence, provided we
save it. The all important question
with the average farmer is, How can
they feed the stock so that the food will
cost no more than the manure: Ensi-
lage is the food that enables this result.
The most Of our farmers do not know
even what eusilage is; therefore, we
give formula as laid down by the Ag-
ricultural Department:
" To make corn ensilage, we plant
corn just as we usually do to raise corn.
only later, say in June or July. In the
/ fall this corn will have reached the
roasting ear state, then Tor little
later, say about the time the fodder
would do to pulD cut down the stalk.
with the ear and fodder on it, run it
through a feed cutter, ear, stalk and
fodder all together, and pack down in
your silo. But what is silo?
The supposed cost'of silo has been
a great drawback to ensilage. But the
necessary expense is small. The old
idea was that silo must be all or
partly under the ground bricked and
very strong as TO bear great pressue.
This is all unnecessary. A silo need
be nothing more than frame with
ends of the posts in the ground or rest
ing OIL top of it, double crossed ceiled
with we'll jointed planks inside. 1t
needs no floor, but simply a foot of
straw spread on the ground for floor.
The cover can either rest on the frame
or ON four posts out several feet from
the frame, as the cover should extend
several feet over the frame. The en-
silage is poured into this frame-this
silo from the top. In packing in the
ensilage keep it higher around the
edges of the silo than in the middle, so
that the chopped up ears of corn will
roll into the middle. When the silo is
full cover over the top with layer Of
fine chopped straw. No weighing is
necessary. The steam which rises
from the ensilage will cause the straw
covering to mold. thus Theoretically
sealing the silo, and making it air tight.
In feeding out the ensilage take LAYER
from the top at each feeding, give the
first layer to the cows and the next to
the horses at each feeding. Because
that on top sours little during the
day and the cows prefer it in that state
while horses do not.
The feeding value of ton of ensilage
is 60 cents. Land that will make ten
bushels of corn will make twenty tons
of ensilage worth $1,000. while the
corn at 60 cents bushel would bring
$500, so the ensilage is worth double
as much as the corn.
The size Of a silo should be governed
by the number Of stock TO be fed l
cubic foot of space holds 40 pounds,
which is a days feed for COW, so cal
culate its size on this basis. The silo
should be tall and not wide. so that
each days feed will take off whole
layer.
Ensilage is unquestionably one of the
best and cheapest feeds for all kinds of
stock, and all our farmers should build
silos. Now is the time to plant corn
for ensilage.