The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-12-23

is an improvement on dry fodder, / |
have not found it equal to ensilage.
Even if it were, but few can find room
to store successfully sufficient corn to
feed the stock from November to July
and August. Many people are de-
tered from using good thing, by ad
Vice given by those who have never
tried what they condemn.
For years | have been trying to get a
supply of food which would keep the
cows from drying up after celving, be-
fore they could get grass. When once
the mess is reduced from any cause, it
cannot be fully restored by any system
of feeding. For that reason, fall calves
were impossible, and we had constant
struggle to counteract the shrinking eff
feet of dry hay and corn meal. Beets
were grown, but that means good
deal of hard work, and our cows give
more milk from four bushels of pota-
toes than six of beets. Potatoes are,
usually, too expensive to feed. Tur-
nips are easily grown, but the greatest
care is required to prevent harm to the
product Some succulent, milk-pro-
ducing food - something pslatable-
must be provided. The cutting of corn
fodder, heating of water, ETC., for eight
COWS, make a slave of man, and do
not fill the bill, or pay the added cost.
The silo is the only source of which
know, which provides the food needed
TO keep up the milk supply, cheaply,
and as long as needed. The cheapness
is, now, believe, conceded by all we'll
informed men. The whole cost of har-
vesting the corn and filing the silo is
less than the cost of husking and cut
ting the dry fodder. Where several
silos are built in the same neighbor-
hood, small sum from each owner
will buy a cutter, and an engine to run
il may be hired for SO per day. BY
changing works with each other, the
entire crop is disposed of in few days,
and gives no further trouble. 1t is in
out of the wet, secure from freezing,
and will not rot or mold.
Last year, we had heavy freeze,
and much corn was nearly ruined. The
stalks were black, and the leaves were
slippery on corn grown on low ground.
Such foliage, if cut and shocked in the
ordinary manner, would spoil. The
stalks only would be left, and they
would be woody, unpalatable and
wasted. 1t was my first year, and l
was assured BY every one that, in three
weeks, it would be nothing but ma
nure heap. This badly-frozen corn
was put in the bottom of the silo, and
made about ten feet in depth. On top
of this was some good field corn, we'll
cared, and last, some eight feet of late
sowed, immature dent corn just in tas-
sci. AS this was frosted, too, the most
of the ensiage was pretty poor lot of
roughage before it went in.
The silo is 13x14 feet, and after set
Ting for four weeks, the ensilage was
IA feet deep. fed eight cows from
November l TO March %, and not
particle was left in the hangers; they
| did not need cleaning out once in that
time. For long time, no other coarse
food was given, and l did not feed
ton of hay or straw in the whole time.
have enough hay now to sell to pay
twice for the silo, or enough to buy the
I whole outfit-cutter, carrier and silo.
By this method of covering, feeding
and filling, there was not bushel-
basketful of waste. The COWS began to
improve in appearance and milk yield
at once. Being kept in warm barn
continuously, and gaining in flesh, they
shed their hair early, and were as
smooth in hair as race horse, in
March. They were MIXED eleven
months, and gave larger messes of
milk than ever before. When the en-
silage was gone, the amount of milk
kept decreasing in spite of ration of
beets, potatoes, oil meal and clover
hay. Just why rather poor corn fod-
der will produce such good results, af-
ter being cooked tender in a silo, 1 can
no more tell than can tell why two
quarts of strawberries (mostly water)