634 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
September 13 
QUESTIONS ABOUT SILO FILLING. 
In filling a silo would you tramp around 
the outside as solid as possible, or would 
you leave it untramped? Would you en¬ 
deavor to keep the outside the highest, or 
would you keep it level? In filling a round 
silo, 18 feet in diameter and 40 feet high, 
would you let the silage take care of itself 
by having it drop fairly in the center of 
the silo? By filling in this way would the 
silage be of uniform grade throughout, or 
would some parts have more of the ears 
than others? I read of some who start 
to feed as soon as the silo is filled. Is this 
all right, or should it be allowed to stand 
awhile before feeding? If so, how long? 
Instead of answering all the above 
questions in order I will attempt to give 
a few directions in reference to the har¬ 
vesting of silage that will cover all the 
questions asked. In filling a silo, the 
usual difficulty is to get the silage even¬ 
ly spread over the surface as it is filled. 
Inside the silo is no place for one of 
that class of men who begin their day’s 
work “tired.” The pieces of ears as they 
are run in form the heaviest part of the 
silage. Next come the butts and body 
of the stalks, and the leaves and tops 
form the lighter portion. It is of the ut¬ 
most importance that the whole, as it 
falls, be evenly distributed over the sur¬ 
face. It is much easier to leave the 
heavier ears and cuttings of stalk in the 
middle and put the lighter at the out¬ 
side, but this means defective silage. 
That at the outside is likely to be very 
defective, and may spoil the whole. The 
more thoroughly it is trodden down as 
the filling progresses the better. It pays 
to put two men in a silo where seven to 
10 tons per hour are being cut and put 
in. Spread all evenly, being careful to 
keep as much of the heavier portion at 
the outside as in the middle, tramping 
a reasonable amount to keep all even. 
No matter whether the silo is round, 
octagonal or square, all are filled in the 
same way. If the silage is allowed to 
fall in and lie as it falls, the heavier will 
remain in the center and the leaves and 
tops fall on the outside, and poor silage 
will result. The leaves and tops do not 
have in them the moisture necessary for 
the preservation of the silage. 
As to time to commence feeding there 
is no rule, but to feed when you need it. 
The settling and curing will take place 
in a very few days, and then it does not 
matter how soon you begin to feed, pro¬ 
vided you keep on feeding when once 
the top is broken. Immediately after 
tbe silage is in and the silo filled, the 
silage will become very warm—even 
hot. After a few days the temperature 
begins to fall, and a mold forms over 
the surface. . This is Nature’s sealing 
process, and shuts the carbonic acid gas 
in the inside, and shuts out the air. The 
silage will not decay until the air 
reaches it. Once this seal of mold is 
broken the silage will begin to rot so far 
as the air reaches it. The feeding must 
be rapid enough to keep ahead of this 
tendency to decay. In warm weather it 
is three to four inches a day. In cooler 
weather, as after November 20, from 
one to two inches a day will keep ahead 
of the decay, and the silage will be per¬ 
fect. This is the only matter to be con¬ 
sidered in the feeding, no matter 
whether the silage has been stored a 
week or a month, or the weather warm 
or cold. It is better to let it lie a couple 
of weeks before feeding, but this is not 
very important, if the silage is needed 
for the stock, and the feeding continue 
after the top mold is once broken. As 
to the utility of the silo I will add this: 
If two cows of equal capacity, coming 
fresh at the same time in the Fall, be 
fed one on hay (no matter how good) 
and a given amount of properly-balanced 
grain ration, and the other good silage, 
with a small amount of hay and oats 
or buckwheat straw (I wish you to no¬ 
tice that word buckwheat) and the same 
amount of grain, the silage-fed cow will 
produce enough more milk and butter 
than the other to pay the entire cost of 
the silage fed. The same result will be 
reached with steers fed for beef. If this 
be true, it is very apparent that our 
farmers ought not to ask at this day of 
advanced farming primer class questions 
on the silage question. c. l. peck. 
Pennsylvania. 
Experience in Northern New York. 
Silage has been trodden with man and 
beast in every degree from a compact 
treading to the amount done by one 
man. One man says silage cannot keep 
without much packing. Another says 
treading is a useless waste of energy. We 
have tried varying degrees, and last 
season I did the work alone in a silo 16 
feet square and 22 feet deep. The de¬ 
flector used upon the end of blower pipe 
of a Blizzard machine was raised first 
and the corn carried to the opposite side 
of the pit, filling to the depth of six feet. 
It was then lowered and the other side 
filled until it was about four feet higher. 
The cut stuff was partially leveled down 
on these one-half of silo widths, but 
really a very small portion of the corn 
was handled. With a Blizzard there is 
no opportunity for a separation of corn 
and stalks. The whole growth is so 
finely pulverized that it all goes togeth¬ 
er, unlike the chain carrier machines. 
With them the ears and leaves must be 
mixed. They are sure to separate. I 
have watched this silo very carefully. 
About five feet from the top down show¬ 
ed more heat than our other silos, and 
therefore a consequent loss. This was 
most apparent through the center, where 
the two piles joined. Nearly one-half of 
the silage was left over. This has been 
opened 10 days as I write, and surely 
finer silage could not be found. I am in¬ 
clined to the belief that in a silo 40 feet 
deep if the mixture of all parts was com¬ 
plete and attention given to the last 10 
feet of filling, good results would surely 
follow. If the stuff was coarsely cut, 
the heavy and light portions would sep¬ 
arate and decay. The secret of good 
silage is air exclusion. This comes only 
from a uniform weight upon every 
square foot. All systems that do this 
will have, in my judgment, equal value. 
Loss has often occurred from excessive 
tramping at the sides, permitting the 
center to take care of itself. If much 
tramping is done, see to it that there is 
some uniformity about it. I am not 
aware that any difference will follow 
whether the middle or sides are high 
provided the essentials just mentioned 
are kept in mind. We have usually con¬ 
tinued to feed from some of our silos 
after filling others, standing different 
periods of time before using. No differ¬ 
ence is evident. Good corn to begin 
with, cut fine, or, if it could be ground 
all the better; all parts mixed, carrying 
equal pressure in a tight silo are the 
essentials. Keep tnese in mind and any 
practice that may suit the notion of the 
farmer may be followed, h. e. cook. 
From “a Land of Silos." 
Silage is to a certain extent an un¬ 
known substance in that it is rare that 
a pit of silage “acts” two years alike, 
as the “art” of filling is not as yet well 
enough understood to control perfectly 
the action of the ferments, and the 
silage, as a result, is not uniform as to 
condition, though the differences are 
usually insignificant and the quality only 
slightly affected. In filling it is our prac¬ 
tice, confirmed by 15 years’ experience, 
to tread the silage very slightly at any 
point, and least about the sides and the 
corners. We have a man in the pit who 
keeps the silage about uniformly deep— 
not level—and now and then walks 
around on the outside edge of the silage 
to keep it in place and see that the full 
amount is kept in the corners, for ours 
are the old-fashioned square silos, with 
clipped corners. Our experience has 
been that whenever we have done exces¬ 
sive tramping along the walls and cor¬ 
ners, there has been a greatly increased 
amount of damaged silage caused by 
mold. This is my individual experience. 
Others report differently. The round silo 
obviates all difficulty about the corners, 
but the wall troubles are the same. Af¬ 
ter years of experiments we now try to 
have the silage two and three feet higher 
along the walls, and “firm” this “bunk¬ 
er” by walking, not treading, along the 
outside as referred to above. I think 
this is now the general practice here. 
No, if left to fill itself, the silage will not 
be of uniform grade throughout. The 
light leaves will be here and there in 
bunches, the grain disks will all roll to 
the outside and the silage will be far 
from uniform. Keeping the silage high¬ 
est on the outside seems to give the most 
uniform grade of silage. In many in¬ 
stances where the farmer has a large 
herd of cows, feeding from the silo as 
soon as filled is practiced. It is all right 
if feeding takes place often enough to 
keep the surface silage from molding. 
After going down four or five feet, one 
comes then upon the “cured” silage. In 
the greater number of experiences, the 
preference is given to the practice of al¬ 
lowing the silage to heat and cool down 
before commencing to feed from the 
silo. There is no better cover for a silo, 
and hastening of the ferment process, 
accompanied with so little loss, as to 
tramp well the surface and once in five 
days throw on the surface 75 or 100 gal¬ 
lons of water according to the size of 
the silo. About three wettings are 
usually sufficient. We have usually 
found that a bushel of oats sown on the 
two silos and raked in lightly at the first 
wetting results in a remarkably good 
sealing cover, and is easily removed. The 
idea is now being advocated of having 
silos with portable roofs that are not put 
on until weeks after the silo is filled, the 
Fall rains adding greatly to the preser¬ 
vation of the silage by their gratuitous 
wetting down of the surface. In either 
way the water is a great aid whether 
called “water cure” or water sealing. 
JOHN GOULD. 
Breeders’ Directory 
500 White Wyandotte Pullets 
for sale September 1. Farm-raised, unlimited range. 
Money-makers; bred from our best layers. Also a 
few choice cockerels and yearling breeders. Eggs, 
15 for 81. H. A. HATHAWAY, Greendale, N. Y. 
TFRSFYS~ Tllree grandsons of Exile, 
J L/IAOLi A O golid color. 3. 5 and 7 months old. 
Good. J. ALDUS HEKK, Lancaster, Pa. It. K. 4. 
Registered Jersey Bull Calves 
from Imported Golden Lad at fair prices. 
R. F. 8HANNON, 907 Liberty Street, Pittsburg, Pa. 
A Foundation Herd of 10 or 20 young registered 
HOLSTEIN COWS is offered at a special price 
by DELLHUR8T FARM, Mentor, Ohio. 
| PUREBRED HOLSTEIN- 
r Ul Odm FRIESIAN BULL CALVES 
and SCOTCH COLLIE PUPS from registered stock. 
W. W. CHENEY, Manlius, N. Y. 
FOR SALE 
The high-bred herd of Holstein-Frleslans at 
the MAPLES STOCK FARM, Binghamton, N. Y. 
Address WM. ROOD, Proprietor. 
QHENANGO VALLEY STOCK FARMS, Greene, 
^ N. Y.—Dutch-Belted and Jersey Cattle, Dorset 
and Rambouillet Sheep. Poland-Uhina and Jersey 
Red Swine; 15 varieties Land and Water Fowl. 
Eggs cheap in season. 
DAIRY SH0RT-H0RNS7K.X?.™; 
winners. FLORA V. SPENCER, Spring Creek, Pa. 
it Farmers’ 
Yearling Bull, “ Verbank Chief,” ready for service. 
Also a registered Guernsey Bull Calf, from prize 
lock. MANAGER, Hilltop Farm, Littleton, N. H. 
mTTTJl pTTTieiTTTT} T*—The hog for bacoo 
lilij UXlijulillvJj We sell them. 
MORNINGSIDE FARM, Sylvania, Pa. 
IMPROVED LARGE YORKSHIRES StfES 
hog. Pigs of all ages from imported stock for sale. 
MEADOW BROOK STOCK FARM, Rochester, Mich 
Reg. P. Chinas, Berhshires and C. Whites, 
Choice Pigs. 8 weeks old, mated not 
akin. Bred Sows and Service Boars. 
POULTRY. Write for hard times 
prices and free circular. 
HAMILTON & CO., Rosenvick, Chester Co., Pa. 
Dorset Ram Lambs Ur'S"I m'.’.: 
ready for delivery now, at $10 to $15 each. Regis 
tered in purchaser’s name. 
MAPLEMONT SARGENT, Albany, Vt. 
lllftflDA ISflATC are handsome, hardy and 
ANUUnA I2UA I O profitable. Prize stock. 
Lew prices. Large cir. E. W. Cole & Co., Kenton. O. 
He Wall Street Tip Equal* the Beet Bam Tip. 
BUY ANCORA GOATS. 
For Registered Stock addres* 
BOSWYCK FARM, RIDGEFIELD, CONK. 
For Sale.—Scotch Collies, magnifi¬ 
cently bred. A. J. BENEDICT, Woodworth, Wls. 
—iChoice stock for sale at all 
■ Clido times. Book and price-list free. 
W. J. WOOD, New London, Ohio. 
Jacks for Sale. 
The Crystal Creamery Co. paid their 112 
patrons on an average of $1 per 100 pounds 
for their July milk, and the skim-milk was 
returned free, this was worth 30 cents per 
hundred to feed the pigs. l. h. k. 
Union Center, N. Y. 
150 Jacks, Jennets and Mules now ready for the 
Fall trade. Some bargains Address 
BAKER'S JACK FARM, Lawrence, Ind. 
(1**11* 1* I I** «n HENS and CHICKS 
lllllfl TO LI66 54-page Book FREE. 
D. J. LAMBERT, Box 307, Apponaug, B. 1. 
PAYS AT THE SCALES 
nnN’T CCCn Ticks, Lice and Microbes on your profits. They eat 
U U ll I ILLU pounds and dollars off each animal. Comfort your live 
stock and your bank account withChloro-Naptholeum Dip. It stops what’s 
the matter—stops and kills everything that is catching—kills the parasites 
that carry diseases. 
~vi 
Askyou dealer; if he does not keep it, send to us. We will ship, prepaid, 1 gal., 
$1.50; 2 gals., $3.00; 5 gals., $6.75. Special prices in larger lots. Accept no substi¬ 
tute. There is nothing "just as good” as Chloro-Naptholeum Dip. Write for our Free 
book, “The Preventive Treatment,” Cattle, Sheep, Swine or Poultry. 
WEST DISINFECTING CO., 4 E. 59th St.. N. Y. 
MANNS 
BponE 
CUTTER 
MAKES HENS 
YOU CAN GET LOTS OF EGGS 
anil liave healthy fowls if you feed Green Cut Hone. 
Mann’s Latest Model Bone Cutter 
is guaranteed to cut all bone and all adhering meat and gristle,easier.fas¬ 
ter and i n better shape than any other type. Automatic self-regulating 
feed. Never clogs. TEH DAYS’ FREE TRIAL on your own premises to 
prove our guarantee—no money In advance. Return at our expense 11 
not satisfied. Isn’t that better for you than to pay for a machine you 
never tried? Catalogue free. F. W. MANN CO., Box 15 Milford. Mass. 
