Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-07-04
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At a farmers institute in Illinois late
" one of the delegates related his
brothers experience with ensilage He
had been feeding it and shipping his
milk to Chicago, and when the ensilage
was gone his milk supply was reduced
20 per cent in two days. Mr.. III. B.
Gurler of Dekalb, who is well known
as a lecturer and writer on dairy
topics, said he had the same experience
last fall and he knew several other
large feeders who had found similar re-
suits when they changed from ensilage
to pasture. He thought the feed his
stock got in the pasture during three
months cost enough to have furnished
feed at the silo for year. He received
less for what he had invested in the
pasture than from any other land on
the farm. He has a half dozen siios
and last year put up $50 tons of en-
silage and had not got enough yet. lie
had carried ensilage over year i'll the
silo and could not see that it was not
just as good for the COWS as that put
up the previous fall. He was once
l.. called upon in Putnam county to act
as judge on a butter exhibit He found
one lot that was a point higher in flavor
than any other and called attention to
it. After the meeting a farmer claimed
that was his butter and said he fed no
fodder but ensilage and be had been
the laughing stock of the community
for doing SO.
Concerning siIage.
A properly built silo, either below or
above ground, cannot be otherwise
than success, and the question of To-
cation is one of the local conditions at
the barn, says Hoard's Dairyman If
a pit silo is deeper than six feet, 1t
should be provided with some method
of ventilation while being filed to pre-
vent any danger from the possible pres
ence of gas, which might, as 1t has in
several cases, prove fatal.
Sixteen COWS will require about 30
tons of silage for six months feeding,
contained in a round silo IA by % feet
Silage will keep well without any COW
er. The upper six inches to a foot win
act as cover, but as this upper layer
spoils. If it is wished to prevent such
loss, the silage may be covered with
straw or marsh hay a foot or more in
thickness.
Hopping the Silo.
A Is by 30 silo has capacity of 10j
tons. and the best method of hopping
is as follows: Six three-quarter inch
hoops at the bottom, five five-eighth
inch hoops in the middle and four one
half inch hoops at the top. The hoops
should be in two or three pieces. con-
nected by malleable iron not cast from
Tugs, which allow for the necessary
contraction and expansion. Such a
hopping arrangement is abundantly
strong. Already too many silos have
burst from insufficient hopping and
thus prejudiced people against them
Durability of Staye Silos.
AS to the durability of round staye
silo believe that if properly taken
care of they will last 20 years and even
longer, says an expert. By proper care
I mean that they must have a coat of
oil and good wood preseryative on the
inside once every two or three years
and paint on the exterior as often as
necessary. have seen round silos five
or six years old that have been treated
in this manner, and they show no signs
of decay, being apparently as sound
as the day they were erected.