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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