jOh. xxni.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, MAY 19,1888.
NO. 20
ENSILAGE AND THE SILO.
Preserving Succulent Live Stock Feed
the Year Round.
Scientific and Practical Discussion of
the Question.
TBI SCIENCE OF ENSILAGE.
In the process of curing corn fodder, or
i»y, two important  changes take place
besides that of the loss of moisture.   The
first is the change of constituents, and the
ither is the actual loss of constituents.  Of
ihe material, of the succulent fodder and
,the cows digestive organs can utilize
ihree-fourths.   They are built up of cells,
ach cell being surrounded with a coating
aterial which has been termed cellulose
ithin these cellulose walls are contained
he sugar ,starch and albumen ofthe plant
n the conversion of fodder and grass into
ry food, the digestible succulent -woody
:ellulose becomes indigestible woody cell-
lose to a very  large  degree.   And this
ikes place in every crop as it ripens, and
ipecMly soon after It flowers the process
iroceeds rapidly, and therefore the neces
'■ty for cutting such crops before they are
verripe. The second change taking placer
n the coDversion of  fodder and grass to
Iry food is due to fermentation and oxi-
g lation.  In these  processes  a large per
I  ent of the constituents of  the forage is
ynrned up and  lost.   Thus  we  have the
easons why dry  foods are  not equal to
.»een.  The latter  contain not  only the
5 water, bnt the chemically combined nu
j trie-its in due proportion.   In the old sec
ion? of the country, where  the silo and
fflsilage are so rapidly  coming in favor,
there is a great decrease in the growth of
| root crops, which  for their succulent and
|J*Jbeneficial character on this account, were
-»rgely grown to feed  with dry foods.
Science further says on this  subject, (and
'etitbe remembered that science is simply
Pertained truth), that  the "real advan
,,' ^ wMch ensilage possesses  over  dry
| oods is due to  the fact that in the former
*e cellulose remains mainly in the diges
•Ale conditions it exists in grass and oth.
"succulent crops,>hile the water natural
•o the grass is mostly retained.   The only
delusion which can be drawn from the
"perience of feeding milk cows with succulent food and ensilage is, that  thewa-
jf which exists naturally in the vegetable
«.m.U6 hgS * sPecial effeot npon 'he animal,
t«d    ^ b6 Rde1uately replaced by wa-
. ^ran*£ ln the usual way.   There seems
'-er a Tlntimate  unlon between this wave..» v   " ohemlcal constituents of  the
Setable.  What this combinatioll ls can.
a^« yet be said."
truth" astothe science or "ascertained
meth . resPecting the ensilage and the
■athi ot its preservation, further on
ing th' *™lcl<- Is given the formula of fill-
•orthev Let usnere give the reason
^rved acter of  the food* when pre-
easo ' J? we have already shown the
aiMe th      ll ta more nntritious and val-
th* Mh. i?fiuh,en dried ln the old ™y- As
t«e d.v s ' M now P^oticed on alter-
begiD8 7 of filUng and packing, the silage
-empflJt ent»tion and heat, till the
C«er ti?. ri8es to 125 to 130 degrees.
Pilose temPeratn™ a per cent of the
'***, and !7entuatea into other constitu-
a°*--»nd if?6 arrest farther fermenta-
^Parati i the sUage thus preserved
^*-»W, SWeet- B7 analysis it has
t!" nutriti that In thls Process none of
*"""" id ^US substance is lost, nor even
'ei*mnch.!tS detriment in the least.
'"'"ffocess ; esame results are seen in
°f the preservation of canned
fruits and vegetables, and when that end
was attained, no one should have doubted
that eventually green foods for live stock
could also be preserved.
CONSTRUCTING SILOS.
Fits in the ground, walled with stone,
brick, and sometimes cemented, were the
first methods for constructing silos, and
these are followed yet with entire success,
but are more expensive than other plans,
now much in use. Now most excellent
silos are built above ground. A stone or
brick foundation is built a foot above
ground, and on this a balloon frame is
constructed. The studding 2 by 8 inches,
are placed 15)4 inches apart. Tarred paper
is tacked on both the inner and outer
edges, and on this outside is nailed drop-
lapped siding, and tongued and grooved
flooring on the inside. A silo 30 by 40 feet,
16 feet high, built this way, will hold 300
tons of ensilage. It should be divided into
three equal compartments with wooden
walls, both for convenience in filling and
feeding from them. The green corn cut
in half-inch lengths are put in at the rate
of 20 to 25 tons per day, treading the sides
and corners down well each day. When
the pits are full they are covered first with
tar-board paper, and on this is placed
boards,which are covered 8 or 10 inches in
depth with saw dust, or earth. During the
gallon. When heated, it becomes thin
and easily put on with a mop, and when
cold is hard and impervious to the juices,
and will protect the wooden walls from
decay as well as exclude the air better
with the paper walls under the inside, and
outside wooden llnings."
A NEW ENGLAND FARMER OF SEVERAL YEARS EXPERIENCE, SATS:
"Eight to 10 inches of earth on the board
covering is excellent forexcluding the air.
I also add to the weight many barrels of
sand on top of this. It takes 6 weeks or 2
months to ripen and become most valu
able for use. Of varieties of' corn for en
silage, I use Blount's prolific and Learning; both are good. The corn should be
grown on good rich strong land and drilled
7 or 8 inches in the row and rows VA to 4
feet apart. In feeding I find that corn ensilage from 1 acre is equal to 8 tons of hay,
and will keep in better condition three
times the number of animals that hay on
the same land would keep. I feed one
part ensilage and one part salted hay and
the cattle fatten on it. I feed to mature
cattle 45 to 60 lbs. ensilage per day, with
the salt hay. My neighbor fed some of
his dry cows exclusively on ensilage and
made most excellent beef of them. One
season I put a large quantity of second
crop of  grass into  my silo, and it proved
A SILO OP THREE COMPARTMENTS AS DESCRIBED.
past winter, Mr. Sweet, near Grand Rapids, Mich., fed ensilage from silos so constructed and filled, with great satisfaction.
And so of Mr. Heath near Lafayette, this
State, and of many in other States.
PLANTING AND GROWING! CORN FOR ENSILAGE.
It has been found that for this purpose
30 tons of corn fodder has sometimes been
grown per acre, and many using the ensilage of the silo reckon the 30 tons so
grown and preserved equal to the dry hay
from five acres of land. Experiments at
agricultural college farms have shown the
best results by planting the corn in rows
three to four feet apart, and with three to
four stalks per foot in the rows. Thick
planting gives more weight of crop per
acre, but less nutriment. The corn should
stand till the kernels are well formed, and
the stalks when cut should lie on the
ground in bundles 24 hours before being
run through the cutter and put into the
silo.
PROF.    HENRY  OF   THE  WISCONSIN   EXPERIMENT
STATION.
Ensilage in America should take the
place of root crops in the European system
of feeding. The B. & W. corn, have given
fair satisfaction. The medium field corn
has also done well, and the larger varieties
of Bweet corn are excellent.
Of the construction of silos Prof. Henry
says: "In making wood silos, this season
I will coat the inner wall next to ensilage
with roofing tar, which costs 25 cents per
most excellent feed.   I did not cut it, but
put it in just green from the field."
A PENNSYLVANIA FARMER OF SIX YEARS EXPERIENCE, SAYS:
"The feeding value of ensilaged corn
from 40 acres I have found equal to 380
tons of good meadow hay, and we cannot
grow on an average more than two tons of
hay per acre."
AN ILLINOIS FARMER WITH  THREE YEARS EXPERIENCE.
"I use a medium sized field corn 90 days
from planting to maturity. I drill it,with
stalks 8 to 10 inches apart and rows VA to
5 feet, and cultivate as other corn. When
the grains are about glazing I cut and tie
in small bundles and let it lay about a
day. Then run it through a cutter and
drop it in the silo, cutting in half-inch
lengths—cut stalks, corn and all together.
My silo is in two compartments 12 by 16
feet, and 15 feet deep. I fill in one today
and then the other next day, tramping
down the sides. It costs me about 00 centB
per ton to fill my silo, cutting and a__."
An Illinois Farmer ol Firs Yean Experience.
"I find better success by feeding from
the top of the silo.removing only as much
of the covering as is necessary from time
to time. I feed it to cattle, horses, sheep
and hogs, and they all do well on it. It is
flne for growth and keeping, but by mixing fine meal with the ensilage, stock fatten rapidly on it.   The succulent ensilage
keeps stock in very fine condition, equal
to green grass I think. It is the best food
for young stock I ever saw, and I have
heavier fleeces by feeding it."
Ensilage for the Dairymen.
A Western dairyman who has his silos
and has thoroughly tested ensilage, says:
"It takes about two pounds of ensilage to
make one pound of  milk, or a ton of  ensilage  to  produce $10  worth  of   milk.
Hence I count ensilage is worth, to feed,
$10 per ton, when milk is worth 81 per 100
lbs.   Count corn at 20 tons per acre, a low
estimate, and  one crop is  worth  to feed
milk cows about $200 per acre.   We used
to sell corn at 25 cents per bushel.   There
are about three  bushels in a ton of good
green corn, or  about 75 cents worth;  but
under the  new combination of  silo, cow,
and factory,we advance the 75 cents worth
of corn to $10 worth of milk. The expense
of labor  and storehouse is not increased
much  over the  old plan.   We have built
corn  cribs, bought  shellers, and  hauled
corn many miles; all hard and expensive
work.   The transportation of milk, butter
and cheese, is trifling compared to that of
corn  and  wheat.   A car  load  of wheat
shipped to  New  York would not sell for
more than  $500.   A car of butter would
bring (5,000.   Cost of transportation about
equal.   Corn should never be shipped; it
should be  converted into  butter, cheese,
pork and beef.
"Now, what shall we do with the cowT
There are many places East where she
produces 5165 worth of milk in one year,
at one cent per pound, and she was fed on
bran and meal raised on Kansas land at
our loss and their profit. Now, if we will
feed our meal, bran and ensilage to the
cows, until they produce $165 worth of
milk in one year, per head,then our financial problems will be solved.
'Jin conclusion, I wlll say that I have
fed ensilage two winters. It was made of
green corn. It is the cheapest and most
desirable food for animals in this country."
Mr. N. Pinney, an Ohio farmer, writes
of his own experience to the Country Gentleman as follows: "My silo is 17J4 by 15K
and 18 feet in flight, and is built entirely
of wood, using three thicknesses of lumber, with tarred paper between, and with
a brick wall for foundation, two feet in
ground, cemented one inch outside and
in, with a dead-air space of six inches between outside and inside boards. I used
nearly all matched flooring. I shall build
two more silos this summer,and can build
them both for at least what my present
one cost, by using plain lumber and more
tarred paper.
"When my building was completed, I
had only six acres of very light corn
(owing to very late planting and dry
weather) that was suitable to make ensilage out of, and being very anxious to try
the experiment, I used this as far as it
went.
"In 30 days after closing the silo, I
opened the same, as I was in need of feed
for my cows, and was also anxious to
know whether I had good ensilage or manure. I found It perfectly sweet and
sound from top to bottom, and it was so
until fed out. I should not,however,open
a silo again under six or eight weeks."
A. C. Pierce, of Junction City, Kas.,
says: "Pressed ensilage weighs about 50
pounds to the cubic foot. A building
about 20 feet high and 20 feet square will
hold about 200 tons . of ensilage, or
sufficient to feed forty cows six months.
Good corn will weigh about 40 tons to the
acre, hence five acres would feed 40 cows
during the winter; or 100 acres of good
corn ensilage would winter 800 cows.
Corn was not as good last year as common, but some of mine put in silo averaged over 20 tons to the acre. Corn, I
think, is the best material for ensilage. It
grows luxuriant, ls cheaply raised,  and -