Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-06-04
ABOUT ENSILAGE.


No single subject connected with agrl-
culture has created more discussion or has
received more thoughtful attention from
the farmers lately than that of ensilage
and it deserves more attention and wider
diffusion of knowledge than has yet been
given it. Tie eastern states have the record
of putting up the first silos in the United
States, at about that time the farm reve-
nues had decreased to such an extent, year
by year, that there were but few farms
upon which owners depended for living
that were not heavily mortgaged, the rails
ing of wheat and other grains could not
afford them relief and the farm lands had
commenced to pass out of their hands
under mortgage foreclosures to an alarm
ing extent, when the silo came. and the
farmer has been forced to see the economic
changes that are effecting and assisting
other industries and realizes that CORE
spending advancement, improvement and
economy are necessary to the success of
the farm. The demand is for
cheaper perfected article, whether it be
animal or finished food product, like pork
milk, butter or cheese, maximum results
i'll such products We're not attainable with
reasonable outlay of labor and expenes
until the silo came to the farmers assist
ance. Too many of the crops are grown
for the grain alone, the residue being
thrown away. Millions of acres Of corn
are raised for the grain alone; the stalks
and fodder suffered to waste in the fields,
giving no adequate return. The silo came
to solve some of these questions; it pre-
sented quick, economical way of saving
big crop with the least possible waste BY
the cheapest possible method. And, it did
more; it nut il away in the most concen-
trated form, thereby economizing barn
room, and in such mechanical condition
as to require the least expenditure of labor
and exposure at an lnclement season in
has carried quantities of long fodder
| through snow and mud to the stock. The
| food, when once boxed or siloed remains
as near its original condition as possible,
with only a very slight waste in its food
elements and presented to the cattle in
condition similar to summer feed.
A food so acted upon that it is digested
with the least possible outlay or expendi-
| ture of animal force, quite as easily as
| grass, and producing an effect not greatly
! differing from it, and that too at season
| of the year when the Alternative effects are
sometimes equal to the food benefits. BY
means of the silo he can double if not
| quadruple the animals on the farm, more
animals means more manure, and that
means better land, better crops better
| farming, which means oftentimes the diff
| ference between success and ignoble fail
| ure. That few did not succeed at first
| with their silos begot an unreasonable op-
| position. Each year there are thousands of
| farmers who are unfortunate with their
wheat, corn or potatoes, but no one argues
| they cannot be raised successfully by the
| general farmer. In their first efforts with
| ensilage, they expected too much, they
| thought there was some magical creation
| about it that would enable them to take
out much more than they put in,
and were consequently careless and un-
reasonable in their methods, but with the
present knowledge and reasonable and
| conservative course in the preparation and
| use Of enSilage no one need to fail. Every
| state and territory in the union has its
| solo, which indicates that the silo is a
| fixed fact in American agriculture. The
siio is receptacle for the green food, that
must be frost proof, and air tight as it is
| on the same principle as the fruit jar or
| can, the matter of location is important
only SO far as convenience and economy
| of labor is concerned in filling and feeding
| out, in the keeping qualities it matters not
| whether it is above ground or below,
| whether of stone, brick or wood Mine
being below ground of brick cemented
and has served its. purpose faithfully, al
though the popular silo now is above
| ground and of wood. The crop for the
| slo is of great importance the idea of the
| slo is to intensity farming, and this means
a big crop of the best material on mini
mum sized plot with the least possible
labor consistant with good culture in this
latitude, that crop is undoubtedly corn, as
we can grow from 10 to 20 tons to the
acre, The kind of corn is a matter in
controversy. am satisfied our
southern sheep tooth will serve our pur-
pose in this locality as we'll as any, it has
been thoroughly demonstrated that to OBJ
tain the richest feeding qualities in the
corn fodder crop. The efforts should not
be expended so much toward obtaining
the greatest weight as toward bringing the
crop to its fullest perfection and this can
not be obtained unless every effort Is made
to induce as large an ear growth as posi-
BILE, in strange ground | think with the
| drills three and half feet apart, six
| inches is close enough. The stalk that is
| planted so closely as to produce no ear of
corn, ii is claimed is deficient in feeding
nutriments to a greater extent than the
substraction of the feeding Yalue of the
ear alone. The slo calls for good material
for it must not be expected to turn out
rich good food if filled with an imperfect
or deficient corn growth. It is nearly as
destructive to cut the corn too soon, as to
over crowd it, il having been demon-
strated that the starch and sugar.
of the corn plant is formed more
abundantly and at the expense Of the sap
in the latter part of its growth. Good
silagc depends therefore as much OH
mature corn as upon any other one fea-
should be well glazed, even approaching
the dented condition. The crop to be en-
sliced should be put in loosely to permit
of quick and sufficient heating. The
silage i'll its slight ferment evolves sutfi-
cent heat to cause the imprisoned air to
rise and the silage to develop a quantity of
carbonic acid gas, which being heavier
than air, takes its place and prevents its
return. The development of the heat will
probably reach about 1909 Fahrenheit,
which will eXpel the air and cause the
mass to settle about one-fourth, and will
then gradually lower 70 about 750, and re-
main about that, ut which time It is ready
to cover The later method of filling does
not include much tramping as that
prevents the necessary heating for
the most perfect silage. The filling
may proceed at your convenience,
every day or in the interval of week if
your silo is large. like day or two in
terval at least to evolve sufficient heat be-
fore resuming, There has been quite
revolution in the last few years about
covering and weighing, if the conditions
mentioned have been faithfully followed,
to wit, an air-tight silo. The crop grown
to a stage where the plants are almost
mature, cut fine and put in loosely to per-
nit sufficient heating, and awaiting long
enough to permit settling to exclude the
air. There is no object or use in weighing
the silage may be covered with foot or
two of cut straw or it may be left un-
covered, altogether at the expense of
wasting only the top six inches. In con-
clusioii, with longer experience probably
than any one in the State lam thoroughly
pleased with my experience with ensilage
and would advise my farmer friends to
giveit trial, and if they will exercise even
ordinary care and judgment in the under
taking promise they will not regret it.
ca.. rl.,. - s., y,