VOL. XXIV.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., APBIL 20,1889.
NO. 16
ENSILAGE COME TO STAY.
■vi
Succulent Live Stock Food the Year
Round.
Build a Silo, Whoever Falters Falls Behind.
Js. A.IVXX>TfET>.T02f SILO.
The Silver A Deming Manufacturing Co., Salem, O , kindly 1 urni h these illustrations and description ot
a 100-ton Bllo. Following these explanations, with bills for material as given, any farmer can direct the
building of a si.o.
BCALB3.-F gs. 1 and 3: !i Inch -1 fost.   Figs i and 5: M Inch-1 foot.
Ffg.l
The Scientific Experiment Stations, and
the practical feeders are now one in their
views of the new way of preserving green
food. The Indiana Fabmer has advocated the silo for 10 years, and now all
experience approves the method.
SILAGE SCIENCE.
"Of the material, of the succulent fodder
and grass, the animals degestive organs
can utilize three-fourths. Plants are built
np of cells, each cell being surrounded
with a coating material which haa been
termed cellulose. Within these cellulose
walls are contained ths sugar, starch and
albumen of the plant. In the conversion
of fodder and grass into dry food, the digestible succulent woody cellulose becomes indigestible woody cellulose to a
very large degree. And this takes place
in every crop as it ripens, and especially
soon after it flowers the process proceeds
rapidly, and therefore the necessity for
cutting such crops before they are over
ripe. The second change taking place In
the conversion of fodder and grass to dry
food ti due to oxidation. In these processes a large per cent of the constituents
of the forage is burned up and lost. This
is the reason why dry foods are not equal
to green. The latter cantata not only the
water, but the chemically combined nutrients iDjdue proportion. "Science further
says on this subject, that the "real advantage which ensilage possesses over dry
foods is due to the fact that in the former
the cellulose remains mainly in the digestible condition, as it exists ln grass and
other succulent crops, while the water
natural to the grass is mostly retained.
The only conclusion which can be drawn
from the experience in feeding animala
with succulent food and ensilege is, that
■ the water which exists naturally in the
vegetable tissue has a special effect upon
the anima1, and cannot bs adequately replaced by water drank in the usual way.
There seems to be an intimate unijn between this water and the chemical constituents of the vegetable."
CLOVER SILAGE.
Mr. Talcot, the Ohio Dairy Commis
sioner, a practical dairyman hims6lf, says
that he cuts the flrst crop of clover and
puts It into his siie, and feeds it through
the dry summer season when grass is
short, and keeps up the flow of the milk
perfectly. The silo is thus fed out by the
time corn is ready to cut iand put into it.
Mr. Danforth, of Hudson, Ohio, who has
a large experience in feeding ensilage,
says: "The silo is of the most value to
the small farmer, as the product of an
acre may by it be made to yield four-fold
whet it did by the old method. An average of four acres per cow is required to
pasture during the Ave months ot summer. Bat with the silo one acre can bo
made to keep a cow all winter. * Of hay
we can grow one or two, or most three
tons per acre; but of ensilage corn we get
20 or 30 or even 40 tons per acre. Two
and a half to four tons of ensilage equals
in feeding value one ton of best hay; so
we get an equivalent of 6% to 10 tons of
good hay per acre. Tbat one may winter
more cattle by the aid ofthe silo there
can ba no doubt, and the average may be
iy_. head of cattle per acre with tbis method." A Mr. Gilbert waa mentioned, who
bought a farm six years ago and endeavored to keep upon it ten cows, but in
order to do it had to buy hay. He now
keeps upon the same farm 132 head of
cattle and enough horsea to run the farm.
\
Bin-
flutter.
3H
f
Bin, v
it x, « ner.
iz
II  11  II  II  in?
rig. 2
EXfLANATIO-V OF CUIS.
TIO. 1.—PLAN OF 61 CO.
a. Bins 16x13H6 feet; each .0 tons capacity. 6.
Movable partition of 2-lnch plan*, c. StuSdlng,
2x10 ln. xl6 ft. cl. Corner post, 1x4 in. x 16 ft. d
Door,8ft. x Jft Win.
fio 2.—pjcBsncaTivis view.
<ft. Door, 8 ft. high, 2 ft. from ground, e. Dormer
window, with /. Opsnlog for carrier of ensilage
cutter. _r. Movable part'iion o! 2-inch plank, h
Tarred felting between studding and weatherboards.
i. Tarred felting betxeentwo layers of siding, ln-
s'de.
FI8. 3.—SECTION AND   INTIRIOB END   SLKVATION.
J. Inside double siding, tarrei felting between
layers. *. Outside siding; tarred felting against
studding. I. Hoof braces and supports for alternate
rafters,  m.  PI .te of wall.
JJ-IO   4.—SECTION OF FOUNDATION AND WALL.
n. Studding, 2x10 In. x 16 ft. long o. Section of
silo. p. Foundation of silo; of brick, stone, or ce
ment,  j.  Two layers of siding; tarred felting be
tween, r. Coved s'dlng; tarred felting
against studding, s. Floor of silo; of earth
or cement.
Fih. 6.—Corner view of silo; made of 2x8 In.
plmk spiked together.
BILL OF MATERIAL.
4 scantling, 4x1x16 ft. long, for corner posts.
9,-studdiog, 2x10x16 ft. long, for wall and
plate.
26 studding 2x4x16 ft. long,  for corners,
gables, dormer, etc.
42 rafters, 2x8x15 ft. long.
20b aces, 1x8x11 ft. long, for alternate rafters.
10 supports, Ix8i6 ft. long, for alternate rafters.
614 ft. of 2-Inch plank, for movable partition.
530 ft. of 2x8-inch plank for sills.
2,400 ft. of coved siding, for outside lining.
3,M0 ft. of Inch surface lumber, for Inside lining.
1,170 ft. of Inch but!ace lumber, for roof sheathing
400 ft. of inch surface lumber, for casing, cornice,
door, etc.
11H squares of roof, requiring 8,280 shingles, laid 5
in. to weather.
8,W6sq. ft. tarred felting for roof, Interior and exterior of walls.
El ..her cut nails or steel wire nails may be used;
we, however, recommend the steel wire nails as being the strongest and mest duraole nail for building
the silo.
The entire silo after filling should be alr-tlgU. The
door may bo made so by being closed tight and fastened firmly against tarred felting. •
Capacity of th.B Silo.
The illustrations and cuts will show the
construction of the silo, and it is also desirable    to   know   the capacity of   it.
Each bin of silo above has a capacity  of
about 4,000 cubic feet.   Allowing 25  per
cent for settling, each bin woubd contain
3,000 cubic feet, which would make capacity about 50 tons of settled ensilage, weight
of which ia about 35 pounds to the cubic
foot.   Therefore the above silo, with two
bins, wouid contain about 100 tons of settled ensilage.   The silo may be varied in
construction according to condition and
circumstances.    It   may   be   cheapened
somewhat by using only one layer of siding inside, with  tarred felting   next  to
studding    .A three-bin, 150 ton silo may
be made by lengthening to 48 feet, with
another movable partition.   A four bin,
200 ton silo may be constructed by  making it 32 feet square, with stationary partitions intersecting at center, and giving
four bins 16 feet square, of 50 tons capacity
each.   The dormer  window In  this  case
may be near the center of the roof so that
the ensilage may deliver easily into any
one of the four blns,by means of the carrier
of cutter and an adjustable chute.   If built
on level ground this  silo  would require
the cutter to have a carrier about 30 feet
long.   If built against a hillside the length
would vary accordingly  to   lay  of the
ground.
What the Experiment Statlssa Sr-y.
The following ia the experience at feeding ensilage at the State Experiment Stations named:
NEW   HAMPSHIRE STATION.
The color of butter made by feeding ensilage is higher than on dry fodder. Thia
can b3 demonstrated by the eye. So far
as this goes it would indicate that ensilage improves the quality. I firmly believe that fl »vor is improved, and have
had samples of batter examined in the
market by buyers who know nothing of
the food consumed, and whenever there
has been a change from dry fodder to ensilage there has been a rise in the percentage marking of flavor. I can only regard
this as the direct effect of the ensilage, and
to my mind this food brings ua nearer to
pasture grass than any other excepting
roets, but roots are too costly for us to
seriously think of substituting them in
place of ensilage. I do not believe, however, that there is anything abnormal introduced in milk from the use of good ensilage, while I feel sure that good flavor
and good color are introduced by its use.
WISCONSIN EXPERIMENT STATION.
Oar experiment silos open in a very satisfactory manner thia year, and some of
the ensilage shows only a trace of acid.
The flrst crop of clover ensilage was very
satisfactory and I think more interest will
be taken In it in the fature. Oar feeding
experiments are not yet far enough along
to warrant much being said regarding
them, but thua far we have got rather
more milk and more butter by several
per cent, from ensilage tban from fodder,
although the fodder is unusually fine.
We see nothing wrong with the milk, or
ita keeping qualities, whether from ensilage or fodder.
NEW YORK EXPKRIMENT STATION.
We fed ensilage last winter with excellent satisfaction to our patrons; but as
the milk is all delivered fresh we have no
data as to its keeping qualities. Second;
the small amount of butter that we have
made has been of exsellent quality.
Third; when we feed a properly balanced
ration we see very little difference In quality, whether ensilage or dry food is fed.
ENSILAGE AT KIRBY HOMESTEAD.
Some may be interested to know the
kind of corn planted and the methods of
cultivation at the Kirby Homestead. The
ground was plowed and thoroughly harrowed with a Bpring tooth harrow, then
marked oat In rows three feet apart.  Tha