The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-26
Silos and Ensilage.

A correspondent Of Farm and Fireside gives
some hints on the above subject. which is
one that should excite increasing interest IN
Florida. He says
Enslage to be good food must be grown to
near full maturity. Oats, rye, clover or any
other crop IS not as good for ensllage
as corn. nor can you produce II as cbeaply
per ton. In all cases it must 90 into the sllo
wet or 1t will not pack good and tight. II
hot dry weather strikes you at the harvest
time and the leaves and stalks are dry, you
must pour on water or sprinkle on water 50 1t
will mOisten the whole mass. You need not
be afraid Of hurting 1t by getting 1t too wet.
The failures numerous ones have written me
about no doubt comes from the fact that en-
silage was not wet enough and they did not
tread the sides and corners good enough.
i never shall advise filing silOs with whole
corn stalks. We have tried it two winters
but it does not distribute the grain evenly.
1t is a devil OF Job TO cut ii up in the winter
time or get 1t out of the pits in any way or
shape to feed and the cattle have big time
pulling and hauling TO get the ears OF corn
first before they will eat up the whole stalks
To fork out or pull ont or get out of pit
from ten 10 fifteen feet deep, cOrn-stalks
wet. Shiny stringy stuh-begets the height of
evaporation and greatest need for prayer.
b Good mature sweet ensilage from fied-cOrn
or the large. white Southern corn. rs | have
described will never I'M ure the quality of
butter or milk. 1t will not give il q had fla
vOr. No live man ever saw injured milk from
this cause II you make green, immature
corn, finely grown, without any ears. into
ensilage, you might have sour swill feed, good
for nothing and that would impart bad flavor.
To the Massachusetts, inquirers let me say,
don't hesitate a moment to adopt the silo for
fear OF hurting the quality of milk or butter.
Building lumber is put up in so many diff
ferent forms in this country. that all yOnr
readers do not understand what / mean by
planed and matched lumber for silo ceiling
or the floor of them. ANY kind of wood will
make perfect silo. | only name pine because
that lasts the longest IN wet condition pOr-
ton OF the year. Build of any kind of wood
you can get the easiest or cheapest in your
locality. ] say planed and matched and not
over four inches wide. 1t must be smooth or
the ensilage Will not settle down easily or
evenly. Matched lumber means tongued and
grooved so it will join together and not spring
apart 1t must be narrow, because when the
silos are empty the lumber will dry up and
shrink, and if they are wide boards they will
shrink out of the matching and then out Of
place.
You can have them in the first story of
barns or other buildings, and use the earth
for floor, or you can build them in second
stories of your barns and have the whole
OF the first floor or basement for stable-rOOm
You can use sweep horsepower from two
80 ten horse power. OF tread horsepower,
steam thresher engine power of any kind. if
you use the strong Ohio feed-cutter | named.
and your ensilage will be cut up all right for
winter feeding. You cannot do this silo fill
ing with hand-power cutter. / have taken
the liberty to speak plainly about feed-cutters
only, for have seen so many frail and i'm
perfect ones put out by manufacturers that
break almost every time you attempt the
work that mentioned.