Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1915-09-11
Harvesting Silagc Crops.

n
/ very popular tor harvesting corn
fur hlllug the sllo. aud the work
j. carried ou much faster than when
| the hand method /, used. of cut
tiny. however. # the amount at
corn cot other crops used + not
great enough to Justify tho expense
of harvester. hand cutting may
he ptaCtiCCd.
In determining the size OF cutter
engine. aud other machinery To be
purchased. tho amount Of work to
be done should bC taken INTO con
,idcratlon. The cutter should hc
large enough To- carry on the work
rs fast as the entire force of mCu
employed can get tho crop Ia the
cutter, and on the other hand the
cutter should not hc too large for
the engine that IS To drive it.
The larger cutters having the
scllccding device Afford the great
est capacity, and save large
amount OF labor which i required
in tho operation of the smaller
machines.
The entire crop grown for filling
the sllo should all I've planted nj
the same time in order that Il may
nc filled at one time II possible
which will reduce the cost of filling
to minimum. however. where
two different crops. such rs corn
aud sorghum arc grown for filling
the silo. the time of planting each
will have To be varied according to
the time that each crop requires to
reach maturity.
From data gathered from auum-
Der of farmers over the state who
have silos the average cost of fill
ing same has been found to be 90
cents per ton. The cost of fllin~
is determined by the distance
which the crop has to be hauled !.
the condition of the crop. the
method of harvesting and the cost
of Labor The crop for filling the
silo should he grown rs near it as
possible in order that long haul
will not bc necessary.
When the filling is started the
work should he rushed and enough
labor employed TO carry on each
part of the work in order that one
part of the work will not be delay
cd by the other.
The silage is cut into very small
PARTICLES by machine and blown
by fan into the silo at the top.
II should he we'll packed and even
~ distributed over the entire sur
face of the siio so that the grain
and fodder will be well mixed. II
the crop used for filling the silo is
very dry. water should be added
in sufficient TO moistcn it: the water
Is sometimes spriukied OH the corn
or other crop used as il goes
through the blower of the cutter
by barrel being elevated Just
above il. This method is satisfac-
tory and easier than carrying the
water TO the top of the silo unless
a water tank is elevated and gives
sufficient pressure to carry the
water with hose to the top of the
silo.
While the silo is being filed the
siiage should DC well packed which
will require two or more men being
kept in it aft time. That portion
OF the silage near the walls and on
the edges should be packed very
tight, ms this is the hardest portion
of the silo to exclude the air from
and when the siiage settles. after
the silo is filled, which II will al
ways do, the walls prevent this
portion Of the silage from settling
as much as that in the middle of
the silo.
The crop which is used to fill
the silo being green when put into
it, will cause large amount of
heat to be evolved, but this need
not cause any alarm and IL will