The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-01-30
THE VALUE OF SILOS,
Mr.. &. NJ. SaXby OF IrccpOrt, Ill.,, \
Pleasant Visitor to Sumter.

One of the pleasantest visitors TO
Sumter i'm long time and a most de-
lightful gentlemen is Mr.. c. Nj. Sax
by Of Frecport, H., who is now the
guest of Mr.. w. NJ Graham, wltn
whom he has spent several days. Mr..
Saxby is from the corn and cattle
country and in a talk with a repre-
sentative of the Item Tuesday spoke
most interestingly Of conditions on the
farm there. for Mr.. Saxby is a veteran
farmer and cattle raiser.
In speaking Of raising cattle he told
the value to the farmer Of the central
west of the silo. farm necessity
there, which is hardly ever seen here
In this connection he stated that the
COW barn on DR.. Archie China's place
just east Of town was the best which
he had ever seen south of Ohio,
praise which Dr. China's place no
doubt fully deserves.
AS South Carolina is endeavoring to
rid herself OF the one-crop system
and trying to get her farmers to go in
for cattle, hogs and other stock, as
we'll as for more logical system of
diversificatiOn Of crops, it will no
doubt prove of interest to many to
know how the farmers in the cattle
belt feed their cattle in winter. Mr..
Saxby told of how, in his estimation,
a silo was as necessary to fully
equipped farm as a stove is to a fully
equipped kitchen. He did not see how
anybody could raise cattle at a profit
without one. The silo. he said, came
from Germany, being an improvement
of their idea. where they fermented
green stuff to a certain stage before
they gave it to their cattle to eat.
He built the first silo which was ever
constructed in his part of the State,
but his first attempt was not q suc-
cess. Later he learned that silo TO
be success must be built with mar
row diameter and it must he built Cir
cular, SO that the feed stuff can be
packed down tight without any cracks
or any space for air to remain as the
air spOils the feed value Of the stuff,
if it remains in the silo. In his conn
try he had found that it was best to
have the silos six or eight feet in dia-
meter with additional height to hold
the desired amount Of feedstufr, al
ways adding to the heighth and not to
the diameter, as in this way it was
easier to keep the silo. He stated
that the silos were built of reinforced
concrete, as at DR.. China's farm. but
he thought that these would have
been better. il they had been taller
and their diamater decreased. The
doors, were put in every four to six
feet and sealed with clay or some
such stuff. as they were placed and
clampcd. so that they would he air
tight. The green food was cut UP.
packed down tight in the silO and COW
cred over with air tight covering,
which did not quite rest on top OF the
foodstuff. If dry stuff was placed on
top. this would lessen the chance OF
the food spelling.
In the winter the silos were opened
and the silage was spread out on
concrete floor for the cattle, about
one-third as much ground food being
given with the slage. In this State
where cotton seed meal would be civ
en- with the silage, the amount should
be materially lessened, as a balanced
ration for the animals was required
Mr.. Saxby was much concerned al
the fact that the federal government
has replaced quarantine on the
Union Stock Yards at Chicago, a.
this would prove great handicap to
him in the sale of his cattle, Of which
he raised quite a number during the
past year. He stated that the foot
and mouth disease had not yet reach
ed his immediate community, but that
since he had been in Sumter he had
heard that it had come within eight
or ten miles Of him and he was much
concerned at the possible loss of his
cattle with this disease.