Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-08-30
The H,storx of Ens,laee.

William Dean Howells.
The History of Ensllage.
1t is but very few years since the
term "ensilage" appeared in our sgri-
cultural journals, and today, save
among those who read such journals.
the term is seldom used or understood.
Instances are related of amusing blum
ders made by those who had mistaken
the meaning of the term.
In one case ensilage was referred to
as new system of tillage, in another
it was spoken of as an excellent tertil-
izer and superior top dressing for
strawberry plants.
A farmer describing this new food
and the process of its preservation said:
"Ensilage is simply canned fruit for live
stock, put up expressly for family use
in 8 silo, which is nothing but an air
tight dit OF cellar, where cut cornstalks,
grass, millet, clover, alfalfa or other
green truck is preserved for winter
feed.'
The process of making ensilage con-
sists of packing green corn or any sue
culent fodder in pits or other receipt
acles called silos. For convenience in
feeding and for complete exclusion of
the air the corn or clover is usually cut
by machinery into lengths of one and
one-haif or two inches. The best time
for making corn ensilage is when the
grains are well glazed and beginning to
dent.
1t is essential that the silos be per-
fectly air tight. The first silos built in
Europe and also in this country CON
sisted of chambers of concrete walls
above ground, partly below the surface,
or altogether underground, in the form
OF cellar or pit, the Indispensable point
being q thoroughly air tight receptacle.
For q few years past siios have eo:s
monty been made of wood wholly or
nearly altogether above ground. the
bottom only being of concrete and the
side walls dead air chambers, construct
ed like ice house walls.
This method of preserving food came
into prominence through the expert
ments of M. Goffart of France. InOc-
tober, 1873, the American Agriculturist
published an account by q Hungarian
correspondent of the method of storing
fodder, such as green corn, in pits, as
practiced in Hungary. About this time
the preservation of green fodder at
tracted much attention in Belgium and
France, and several articles by farmers
and professors, in agricr 'tural schools
appeared in the Joural d. Agricultural.
the leading agricultural journal of
France, giving methods and reporting
general success.
In the year 1877 NJ. Auguste Goffart,
an eminent French agriculturist, pub
lished at Paris work on "Ensilsge.'
This work was translated by j. B.
Brown of New York and published in
1879. On account of the great value of
the extended experiments in ensiloing
fodder on his farm at Burtin, France,
M. Goffart received the decoration of
the Legion of Honor.
can American SilO" was described in
New York papers in 1877. This was a
description of pit attached to barn
in Westchester county, New York, and
hints were given as to the utilization of
such storage for corn fodder. In 1880
there appeared 1.-The Book on Ensilage:
OF the New Dispensation for Farmers, y
by John M. Bailey of Massachusetts
The agricultural journals have given
much space to the subject for four OF
five years and file of any of the lead.
ing agricultural papers will show that
much progress has been made both in
improved machinery for preparing and
in methods of preservation, and the
subject is attracting wide attention.
4 The green corn or clover having been
cut by machinery into lengths varying
from one to two inches is closely packed
by tramping as the silo is being filled
The fermentation and heat generated
within this green mass, instead OF en-
couraging decay, prevent it, and art
favorable to Its preservation. The com
plete exclusion of air tends to preserve
all perishable substances. In this greer
corn fodder we have mass of succulen
stalks and foliage in which nature hs.
made preparation for the production o,
, grain. These are filled with juice'
holding in solution the material tina
would soon be deposited in the grain
as starch, ETC., but largely now in th'
form of sugar.
AS soon as the silo is filled the con
tents are covered usually with tarret
> paper and boards, upon which stone
are placed as weights. The air beinl
excluded fermentation at once begins
+ BY the action of the oxygen on tn
. sugar and other contents of the stalk
various changes take place, one o
which is to produce carbonic acid
t This acid is a gas in which candl
, can not burn. or any animal live, and i
8 which no further fermentation can OF
!. cur. If the silo is air tight, the yer
/. first steps in the fermentation of il
8 contents produce gas that acts as
s preservative aud prevents furths
! change. The more compact the foddt
corn, or other succulent material, tt