Sunday, October 27, 2013

Ensilage, Calomel and Cows


 
The Cortland News, Friday, February 8, 1885.

Cortland County Farmer’s Club.

   The club holds its meetings regularly in Union Hall, Main St., Cortland, N, Y., once in two weeks, on Saturday at 2 p.m. The farmers of this county are cordially invited to attend.

   January 31st, 1885, the Club met pursuant to adjournment and was called to order by the President. The Secretary read the report of last meeting, also letters from W. A. Armstrong, Secretary of Elmira Farmer's club, and Hon. Geo. B. Loring, of Washington, which he was instructed to answer, after which the President announced "Ensilage" as the subject for discussion and asked Rev. B. F. Weatherwax, to favor those present with the result of his experience with a silo, which he has filled three years in succession.

   Mr. Weatherwax — My silo, 18 1/2 by 14 feet, with walls 13 feet high, is built between the two drive-ways of the barn, 6 feet of length being under the barn and 12 feet extending outside, so that it is easy of access to till. Have stored in it coarse clover mixed with weeds, just as the mower leaves it, filling it in two or three days time, placing a cover which fits close within the side walls, over it, weighted heavily with stone. In 1882 pressed the clover under a weight of 10 tons, in 1883 a weight of 5 tons and last season used 3 tons, which has kept the ensilage in good condition. I pack the clover in its natural green state in the silo, or if wet, find that it keeps well. In taking out, remove two planks of the cover and cut down a narrow section with a hay-knife, feeding twenty-five lbs. once a day to each cow, giving dry fodder twice a day. The cattle eat the ensilaged clover with great avidity. I feed less grain than in former years and the cattle look better than ever before. From choice would put coarse clover into a silo instead of curing for hay. Although the silo adds nothing to the clover yet there is nothing wasted in the process of drying, and all seems palatable. I have a feed-cutter with all the machinery necessary to operate it, yet prefer storing the clover without cutting fine.

   W. H. Hyde — Sowed the Southern fodder corn last year, and although the stalks were large the cattle ate the whole, and I consider it superior to any other variety we have ever tried. Mr. Hyde also favored the club with the result of experiments carried out by Mr. Johnson, of Goffstown, N. H., with his silo, 40x12ft. in size, 14 ft. in depth, having a capacity of 130 tons. He raises Virginia corn, sowing one-half bushel to the acre; likes to have the ears large enough to roast before the cutting, to do which he uses Ross' self-feeding ensilage cutter gauged to cut one-half inch pieces, then pressed judiciously in the silo. The cattle struggle to reach it when it is being dealt out to them — an eagerness they never displayed while being ted hay — and the avidity with which they eat it shows the great relish they have for it. A strict account was kept of the cost last year and found to be $1.90 a ton, and he regards two and one-half tons as equal to one ton of the best English hay. As the pioneer advocate of ensilage in the region, Mr. Johnson was strongly criticised for his faith in its value, but in the four years that he has used it, those who scoffed the most have become as firm advocates as himself and built silos for themselves.

   An animated discussion arose upon the value of clover as compared with sowed corn for storing in the silo, participated in by A. P. Rowley, A. D. Blodgett. E. Barnes, J. L. Gillett, C. M. Bean, Lloyd Rice and others.

   A question was asked, "How to get rid of lice from cattle?" Reply: Five grains of calomel to each cow, mix with buckwheat flour and sprinkle upon the animals' back. Some recommended moulders' refuse sand, others to feed a small quantity of sulphur with salt.

   Messrs. Fred Parker and Romanzo Bosworth have been invited to take up supplementary discussion of Ensilage and present samples of the same from their silos, Saturday, Feb. 14th, at 2 p.m., to which time the club adjourned.

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