ENSILAGE. 



501 



materially from others. Mr. J B. Brown claims that the best method of planting corn for 

 ensilage, whereby the largest crop can be secured with the least labor, is to make two drills 

 four inches apart, with spaces of twenty-eight inches, cultivating while small with a light 

 smoothing-harrow, and afterwards with the plow and cultivator; the grains in the drills to 

 be from three to four inches apart, and the drills to be made North and South. By this 

 means the sun and air strike both sides. The varieties of largest growth will, of course, 

 require more space than the smaller kinds. The planting can be done with any kind of 

 grain-drill or corn-planter. The cut below represents the Ensilage Corn-planter, manufactured 

 by the New York Plow Co. It is a one-horse machine, which opens the drills, drops the seed 

 and covei-s it. 



After planting, the ground should be rolled to press the soil upon it, in order to insure 

 quick germination. Care 

 should be used not to drill 

 the seed in too thick, as the 

 growth will not then be as 

 heavy. About three pecks 

 per acre of the Southern 

 Horse-tooth corn is suffici 

 ent, and gives more nutri 

 tive stalks than thicker sow 

 ing. As a general rule, 

 the richer the soil, the less 

 seed is required. -The seed 

 should be planted the last 

 of May or first of June, ac 

 cording to the season. It 

 should be kept free from 



weeds and grass, and the surface frequently stirred to promote rapid growth; the after 

 culture being the same as that for the ordinary corn crop. 



Time for Harvesting Maize for Ensilage. The best time for cutting maize for 

 ensilage is when the stalks are fully matured, being then full of saccharine matter and conse 

 quently containing the greatest amount of nutriment. This stage is indicated by full 

 blossoming. If the harvesting is delayed beyond the proper point of maturity, the crop is 

 deteriorated, since the plant does not remain juicy and tender more than ten days or two 

 weeks after blossoming. If cut later than this, it is also not as liable to be preserved as well 

 in the silo. Whenever a change takes place in the leaves, like fading or turning yellow, it 

 shows that the air has entered the cells and fermentation has begun, and when cut in this 

 condition the ensilage will invariably become sour. This practice of leaving the maize stand 

 ing too long before cutting for the silo, will be the common error of beginners in the 

 system of ensilage, and much loss will in consequence be the result. But by proper attention 

 and care in what may seem at first to be minor matters and of little importance, there is no 

 reason why the first experiments in this method of preserving green fodder may not be 

 attended with the most satisfactory results. 



The corn-cutter is the best machine for cutting the corn fodder in the field preparatory 

 to ensilaging it. Some use an old mowing-machine, others corn-knives. Dr. Bailey recom 

 mends corn-knives for this purpose, on the ground that the labor can be performed cheaper 

 than by a mowing-machine, since when thus harvested it can be laid in bunches, rendering it 

 easy to load, the extra cost of cutting being thus more than made up by the facility with 

 which the crop can be loaded, and taken to the silo for cutting. 



