Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1903-12-31
SUCCESS WITH THE siLO.
0ilage Largely Replaces High Priced
Mil Feeds.


A Tennessee farmer says In an ex-
change: l would not even feed five
cows for home use without silo. II ]
had only two years lease on my farm
would build silo at my own expense
rather than feed for two winters on
dry feed.
My silos are round stave structures
costing less than $3.50 per ton Of con-
tents. They have been In constant use
eight years and have paid the cost each
year in the saving Of feed and ID
creased quantity Of milk, and they are
seemingly good for eight years steady,
efficient use. grow the crops and
make the silage filling every year for
less than a dollar per ton.
A silage Of peas and corn mixed al
most entirely does away with the ne
cessity for the purchase of high priced
mill feeds. so there Is chance Tor the
thinking dairyman making money and
saving money IL he will only do SO by
growing his own feeds all at home.
With us now bran is $40 per ton and
not good at that, and last winter it sold
at S24. Cotton seed meal we used to
buy at 80 per ton. The oil mill trust
put it up to $50 last winter. No dairy
man can afford these prices now, nor
does he have to do so when he can
make good sllage containing almost
perfectly balanced ration Of the pro-
TEN and carbonaceous elements for the
best milk production at 81 per ton.
So well am l satisfied with the econ
omy of the silo for the dairy that II
had to build every year receptacle to
contain the silage and tear 1t down to
get at the contents. like opening an
oyster can. would certainly do so. My
silage this year is excellent, very rich
mixture of corn and peas. My cows
are doing well I do not need either
bran or oil meal, and it certainly makes
me feel independent.
Put 1t Up Green.
see great deal Of complaint about
not getting to put up silage at the prop
er stage, waiting for the big steam rig
that had SO many engagements ahead
and the frost getting there first. l have
a good horse power and cutter, and
the very day that my crop is ready the
work begins. 1t is slow, but sure, and
l always get the very best of silage by
getting it in at just the right stage.
This year, at the finish of Saturday
morning, the harvester was running so
nicely that l cut down more than
could haul and cut up that day. Five
or six wagon loads had to lie cut over
Sunday, bright, sunny day. l put
that in the silo to finish filling on Mon
day, using quite quantity of water to
wet it, but it was too dry, and had
foot or two of white, moldy silage. So
will be careful hereafter not to cut
too far ahead.
My corn, the Albemarle Prolific, was
too hard for table use, had two to four
ears to the stalk. The peas, the Whip
poorwill. were hanging full of long,
ripe and half ripe pods. The harvester
got them all up clean, tying in nice
bundles, SO that all went to the cutter
and into the silo together and well
mixed. The result Is an excellent and
a cheap lot of feed.
Have a Good Cutter.
1t will pay any small dairyman with
ten to twenty cows to build one or more
stave silos, get good horse power and
cutter so he will not have to wait the
coming of big steam rig when his
crop is at its best stage for good silage
I have used my horse power and cutter
for more than ten years for dry silage
and for dry corn fodder and have
found them paying investment.
have never tried a gasoline engine; It
may be better than horse power for
farm use. | have had to renew the
knives on my cutter once, but it does
good work yet.