The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1899-03-30
COW PEA VINE SILAGE
PLAN FOR BUILDING THE Su4O
AND BEST METHODS OF
RAISING SAME.
CATTLE EAT IT WITH RELISH
State Agricultural Department Quot.s
Railway Commissioners Crrnshaw
~ La Answer TO = Question.


QUEsTrow-Can peavine silage be
made success in Georgia? Write me
in full. as wish to try the experiment.
this year
| ANSWER - Railroad Commissioners
Thomas @ Crenshaw. who owns farm
in the county of Barlow, was recently
interviewed as TO the plan he adopted
for building the siio, his method of rails
ing COW pea vines. his experience In the
ensiloing Of the same, and the feeding
of silage to cattle: This interview APP
appeared in the Atlanta Constitution
few days since
II have" writes Mr.. Crenshaw, ian
atwood round siio, 81 feet high and %
feetin diameter inside. built my silo
to the plan given on page IS, bulletin
No. 90, issued by the Wisconsin agri.
cultural experiment station The stills
are OF post oak, size 4x6 inches, cut in
2-foot lengths of the circle of the silo,
the sections of the stills being 'toe-nailed'
together, making circle 90 feet in dia-
meter, which is then bedded in cement
mortar and leveled. The timbers for the
plates are cut in like manner, except
from yellow pine, size Aka inches, and
in lengths of two feet. The studding is
OF yellow pine. size AKA inches, cut in
lengths of 81 feet, .toe-nailed' to the sill
every 10 inches from center to center.
The sections of the plates are spiked di-
rectly upon the tops of the studding,
doubling them, and thus making the
plates when completed AKA inches. In
framing my silo I put round post 10
feet long and inches in diameter in
the center of the silo, about two feet in
the ground; and as each stud was toe.
nailed to the sill it was made plumb
and secured by mailing board to the
center post. The lining is made of kiln
dried cypress boards, one-half inch
thick and five inches wide, dressed on
both sides and edges to uniform width
and thickness. This lining is nailed on
the inside of the studding with 3d. wire
nails, horizontally, close together A
layer 3-ply giant P. and B. paper is
tackled on horizontally to the first layer
of cypress lining; then second layer of
cypress boards is nailed ON horizontally
with the same kind of nails as before,
breaking the joints of the first layer A
second layer of paper similar to the
first Is tackled on the second layer of
cypress boards. Then third layer of
cypress boards is nailed ON horizon tally.
with lOd. nails, breaking the joints of
the second layer. have three feeding
doors, size 2, 6x3, with a dormer win.
dow of the same size, for filling the silo.
1t is weatherboarded on the outside
with the same material as the lining.
The roof is of tin and of conical shape.
think have as complete and as nearly
perfect and WE'LL built silo as there is in
the south. When all three of the feed.
ing doors are closed my silo is abso-
lutely alright. and will hold water
equal to barrel.
II SOW COW peas early in June ON my
wheat and oat stubble broadcast; about
one and one-half bushels to the acre.
have them turned under with a one.
horse turning pillow. then drag the land
with an iron tooth Thomas harrow.
nothing more is necessary until the
vines are ready for the silo. The time
to harvest the COW pea vines for silage
is when one. half or more of the peas
on the vines are ripe. Care
should be taken not to harvest the vines
before they are fully matured. as when
green they are very succulent. II cow
pea vines are put into the silo when
too green or when they contain too
much moisture. the pressure in the pro-
cess of settling Is liable to express the
Juices from the tissue and cause 1t to
filter away, thereby entailing great loss.
/ use Mccormick mower to cut the
vines. then pile them at once in wind
rows with q two-horse steel rake and
haul them Immediately to my silo,
"NSAO eA0y oAo Sue WAbA u l06u Gutter
made by the Silver Manufacturing
company at Salem. O., and called by
them Ohio No 49, 1t has a carrier
feed and also an elevator. The vines
after being cut in lengths of from one.
half an inch up to, three inches are
dropped into the elevator and carried to
the dormer window and emptied into
the silo. ! keep two stout, able.bodied
men in the silo all the while it is being
filed, one man with pitchfork to level
and evenly distribute the vines as they
are put in and the other to tramp them
down while the filling is goixg on. AT.
ter the silois filed and while the settling
is going on / have two men to tramp
the silage down thoroughly a few hours
every day for about ten days 1 then
run green marsh grass through my cut
ter until l get layer on top of the
silage six inches or more In depth for q
cover. This cover I wet quite literally,
using pail full or more of water to the
SOnara foot of crrfaoa xx,l~;oL 49,.