The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-04-24
SILOS AND ENSILAGE.
A Subject of Interest to Farmers In
telligcntly Described.

we need more diversified crops. Ger
tainly every farmer must bring to the
management and cultivation of his farm
the best energies of his life as well as good
business principles and practices. The
farmer, no more than the man in any
other business can afford to neglect any
part or department of his business. He
cannot afford to allow his timber to be
destroyed needlessly or his land run
down by neglect Or bad farming. He
should care well for his stock and be ever
on the alert to improve his breeds. He
must look well after his labor and care
for his machinery and tools. He should
buy we'll and carefully, as well as sell his
produce TO best advantage. Least Of all
can he expect to succeed and provide for
a growing family, ii in addition to the
failure in any one Or all of these, he is liv
ing yearly beyond his income. The OBJ
ject OF this article is to say something
about silos an ensilage, endeavOr to get
our geople generally to build silos and
put up ensiage, as the best aud cheapest
forage to be had Enslage is practicable
right here, and has been tested with the
best and most satisfactory results.
What is ensilage? The answer to this
question is made necessary because some
need the information, while many need to
have their preiudices removed by plain
statement and fuller details. Ensilage is
forage cut green and not cured but pre-
served by being packed in an alright
apartment called q sIo. Thus you can
preserve all of your forage in it's very
best state for food and at the least cost.
Not only is it in the best state for food
but all of it is saved. e. g: You save not
only the fodder and shucks of your corn
but the stalks also. You can put up in
your silos almost every forage plant
grown. The following are used, being
named by me in the order of their use
and adaptability to use for ensilage, viz:
Corn peas, clover and,grasses, oats, wheat,
rye and the various other forage plants.
You observe that | name corn first. 1t
certainly will make the most per acre and
| believe all things considered, the best
ensilage. Many pull Off the ears and then
use the balance for ensilage, while Others
make much finer food by cutting up
and putting in the silo ears and all. In
using the latter no grain ration is neces-
sary for your stock.
WHAT TO PLANT FOR ENsILAGE.
BY llmeans SOW some corn; how much
will depend on what you need. An acre
of land will raise from five to twenty tons
of corn for ensilage, according to the
land and season. By my use of the word
"sow'' don't be mislead into making the
"sowed corn SO common in this section.
Let your stalks stand from 10 to Is
inches apart in the rows and let the rows
be the usual distance apart that every
stalk may bear shoot or better still an
ear of corn. Manure your land well; it is
cheaper than cultivating so much. Then
you raise peas, clover, grasses, &c, all of
which do well in ensilage and give you a
variety of food. 1t is best to cut up the
corn or other ensslage before putting it
in the slo but it is not necessary by any
means.
THE SILO.
At one time it was thought necessary
that the silo should be built in the ground
and of stone. Now it is settled that it is
not necessary to put in the ground and
that for many reasons wood is preferable
TO stone. 1t must be strong and air.
tight. The usual and cheapest way is to
use six or eight inch upright studding,
two feet apart as the outside, and inside
two thicknesses of board with tarred
paper between Nothing more is neces-
sary for the sides but there must of
course be good top. The cost of the
building of a silo in this section will be
about $3.50 or $500 per ton, where
everything must be bought and thelabor
hired To arrive at the size that you
need it is only necessary to know that a
cubit foot will hold 40 or so lbs. of en-
silage, which is enough for an animal for
one day. Thus a sio 10 feet by 10 feet
and Is feet high will hold 30 tons of en-
silage. which will feed one animal 1900
days, or 10 animals for ) months
In conclusion. allow me to indulge in a
few plain statements bearing on the sub
iect. Ensilage will give you the best and
cheapest forage that you can, in my
opinion, get. Now don't misunderstood
me. Ii you wish good food, you must put
good food into the sio. The silo does not
claim to make but only to keep your for
age. The plant must not be cut too
green but be allowed to begin to dust be-
fore the plant is ready for cutting. The
whole stalk is then richest and will make
best ensilage. This explains why we here
make better ensilage than they do in the
North AMI Northwest. Their seasons
are too short to allow for proper matur-
ing. Again it is a mistake to suppose
that ensilage is only for those who have
many heads of stock. Every farmer can
have it. 1t is only necessary to make
your silo in size according to the number
of your stock. The silo must be divided
in compartments, so that in feeding from
any one at least 4 to 1kinches of ensilage
will be used each day.
Now, Mr.. Editor, pardon me for thus
trespassing upon your columns and pre-
Stunning to offer any suggestions to our
farmer friends. My only plea is that |
believe ensilage good thing and a great
need to our section and am willing to do
everything in my power, both by writing
to the public or talking in private, to
give my reasons therefor
JAMES r. YOU'VE.
Henderson, n c.