582 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
SEPT. 6 
firm believer in the practicability of improving land, and 
doing it in such a way as to make it pay for its own im¬ 
provements. I have never hesitated to go ahead and spend 
money upon my own land wherever I believed the increased 
yield of crops would pay, even though I had to borrow the 
money to do it. Thousands of dollars’ worth of drain 
tiles, water-pipes for artificial watering in dry weather, 
and immense compost heaps are buried beneath those 
acres. They have all paid handsomely, hut none better 
than the drain tile. In fact I believe that the extra crops 
I have already harvested and shall harvest during the rest 
of the season, will pay for every rod of these miles of tile 
that are running in all directions through those 40 acres. 
Good underdrains are profitable! The next question is, 
how shall'they be made ? In my next article I shall try to 
make this matter so plain that all can readily understand, 
and put it into practice if their farms are so situated as to 
be beueflted by such an improvement. J. M. SMITH. 
Green Bay, Wis. 
A TERATOLOGICAL STUDY. 
Abnormal growths of plants are always interesting and 
often instructive, as showing for example that every part 
of a plant is of the nature of a leaf—the pistils, stamens 
and even the fruit. It is not uncommon to see green foli- 
aceous shoots grow out of clover and rose flowers or from 
the calyx of pears or other fruits. The flowers of the corn- 
plant are particularly prone to developing monstrosities 
of this kind. We not infrequently see ears that terminate 
in male blossoms (tassels), female blossoms upon the 
tassel. An illustration appeared in The R. N.-Y. several 
years ago showing two distinct ears of corn connected by a 
tassel instead of a cob or rachis. A peculiar instance of this 
kind of metamorphosis is shown at Fig. 238, drawn from 
the original sent to this office from the Rural Grounds. 
It occurred on a plant of Crosby sweet corn. It will be 
seen that the silks and tassels are mingled in a remark¬ 
able manner. Below are kernels of the usual size. A little 
above will be seen parts of tassels (male flowers) support¬ 
ing four little ears, while still above are tassels, silks and 
embryo ears intermingled. 
NOTES ON ENSILAGE. 
A Review of Wisconsin Experiences. 
It is now nine years since the first silo was built at this 
station, and during that time we have had a varied experi¬ 
ence with this new method of food preservation. Some 
seasons we have had as many as seven pits, each different 
from the others either in the material used or in the manner 
of filling. We have stored silage in the ground, in a large 
stone silo, and in smaller silos made of wood. Clover, 
fresh from the mower, kept nicely stored in an underground 
pit, made good feed, but the method is not at all practical 
in this cold Northwest. Our stone silo was very unsatis¬ 
factory, having been made of a porous sandstone which 
transmitted the heat from the warm silage and let in 
so much air that each year about a foot of the silage next 
to the walls all round was spoiled. If stone is used for 
silo building, it should be of the least porous kind. Pits 
made of wood have proved the most satisfactory. For 
these we have used the large bay of the barn. Painting 
the walls with asphaltum paint seems very satisfactory. 
For drawing corn to the silo we prefer a truck wagon, 
long coupled, with a platform built low between the wheels, 
resting on 4-by 6 inch timbers running from the bolster of 
the front trucks to beneath the axle of the rear wheels. At 
one time I was a strong advocate of allowing silage corn to 
wilt before putting it into the silo, being led to the opinion 
by some superior silage made by accident in one of our 
pits. Further experience has shown that it is best to let 
the corn wilt when green and immature, thereby ridding it 
of superfluous water, which is of no value while it makes 
the silage sour. Where corn is properly matured there is 
no need of allowing it to wilt. The right stage for cutting 
seems to be when the lower leaves are drying up, and the 
upper leaves and stalks have turned that rich yellow green 
which indicates that the work of the roots is over, and that 
only the moving of the nutriment of the stalk into the 
grain is yet to be done. Those who have been in the habit 
of cutting corn for shocking very early, will find the same 
stage of ripeness satisfactory for silo filling. As to length 
of cuts, I think there is room for some experimental work 
of great value. Where the fodder is cut very fine, the work 
is slow, laborious and expensive, and each cut exposes so 
much more fresh surface to decay. Experience has shown 
that corn does not need to be cut at all in order to keep 
well. We need to cut,therefore, only to get the corn into 
the silo more easily and compactly. With a good cutting 
machine and carrier, if we make long cuts, there is no par¬ 
ticular loss in running all the fodder through the machine, 
and elevating it by means of the carrier. I hope the read¬ 
ers of The Rural will experiment with cuts of different 
lengths, and report the results next year. It will certainly 
make a great difference in the cost of securing the crop, if 
fodder need not be cut shorter than from four to six inches. 
The preponderance of testimony is in favor of carefully 
packing about the walls. We avoid the sharp corners of the 
silo by setting up a wide board in each corner, beveling its 
edges so as to fit closely. In the early history we used im¬ 
mense weights on top of the silage; then we went to the other 
extreme and used no weights; now we are going to try mod¬ 
erate weighting. It seems advisable, after having carefully 
tramped close to the walls, to put a few boards around the 
outside close to them, and place some weights on these, as 
the silage drags badly next to them. As to covering, 
marsh grass, some dry weeds, or any refuse material of 
this nature is better than to waste better feed in the shape 
of the silage itself. Analysis at this station showed that 
silage very near the top of the pit had lost a large part of 
its nutriment. Our ideas have also changed much in re¬ 
gard to filling the silo. At one time it was explained that 
we killed the germs of fermentation by allowing a filling 
of three or four feet to heat up before the next was added. 
This notion is pretty well exploded. At this station we 
filled one pit 14 feet deep and covered it the same day. 
A second pit was filled, about three feet each alternate 
day, with similar material. The first showed the best 
silage. 
I am still a strong advocate of clover silage, having stood 
practically alone among the station workers in advocacy 
of that crop for this purpose. Some farmers have failed to 
keep clover properly. I feel confident that the mistake 
has been through putting the clover in while too green and 
full of water. Clover somewhat overripe, placed in the 
pit by us, has come out so bright that most of the blossom 
heads still retained their original bright color, and the sil¬ 
age had an agreeable odor and was eagerly sought by stock. 
Second-crop clover has always made at least fair silage 
with us, probably because there is less water in it than in 
the first crop; it, too, should get well toward maturity be¬ 
fore it is pitted. Our farmers generally are very much 
pleased with this method of food preservation, and since 
they do not take readily to root growing, silage seems the 
ABNORMAL GROWTH OF CORN PLANT. 
Fig. 238. 
best substitute for that crop, furnishing a succulent food 
which Is extremely palatable to all kinds of stock during 
our long, severe winters. w. A. HENRY. 
University of Wisconsin. 
Nine Years’ Experience With a Massachusetts 
Silo. 
Nine years ago I put up a new set of farm buildings and 
fitted the cattle barn with nine silos 12x16 feet and 20 feet 
deep. All were on a level with the barn floor, with doors 
to open at the level. They were built in a side-hill so that 
I could fill them on a level from the top. Two nine-foot 
screws with aprons like so many letter-presses were at¬ 
tached to each silo, and 150 pounds of stones to the square 
foot were loaded on each apron to remain there. When I 
built them I had not seen a silo, or a man who owned one. 
Were I to build them now the only alteration I would 
make would be to sink the bottoms six feet below the feed¬ 
ing floors, and build the walls of masonry up to the floors. 
In the present silos the juices at the bottom work out 
about the doors and a silo should be so built that they 
could not do so, and in one the bottom of which would be 
six feet below the feeding floor nearly all of them would 
be saved. 
While these silos were being built and when finished, 
they were privately and publicly condemned by all the 
farming community as a certain failure. Forage crops, 
they maintained, could not be successfully stored in that 
way for the use of the dairy. Merchants, manufacturers 
and bankers joined the farmers in a loud chorus condemn¬ 
ing the whole thing. Everything that was put in there 
would rot, and be unfit for food for animals. But, noth¬ 
ing daunted, I went into it to see it through. In the fall 
I sowed a field with rye, and about June 10 next, took off 
a crop of eight tons to the acre and cut 65 tons of it into 
one silo. I then put in the plow and had the land all 
planted to Southern dent corn before June 20. Of this I 
took off 17 tons to the acre, cut it with a large-sized Ross 
cutter into half-inch pieces, and two men trod and leveled 
it in each silo. It took two days to fill each with 75 tons 
of corn. I then let down the cover, with the weighting as 
above. This was about September 10. With some 
anxiety I waited just five weeks for it to season, and then 
opened one of the eight silos filled. To my great surprise, 
out of 70 head of cattle only one rejected the silage. 
I have continued to practice ensilage every year since 
until I have raised and fed 3,500 tons of it to my cattle, the 
product of which has been made into butter which has 
been sold in the home market at an average price of 36.3 
cents per pound during the whole eight years. For five 
long years after I started, it seemed as if every man who 
looked at me said, “ Lunatic I ” But, with a strong faith in 
the enterprise I have made it a grand success. Of course, 
the tone of the whole community has changed, and every 
thing is all right now. “Sick cattle,” “sour milk,” 
“ sour cream,” “ sour butter,” “ sauer kraut,” have all 
passed away. Brightside Farm is an acknowledged 
success. Other farmers who once condemned now praise. 
After having visited thrice and again and watched every¬ 
thing about the operation, and seen the results, they have 
settled down to the conviction that it is a good thing, and 
wish they had a silo. Many have built some, and all who 
have are pleased with them. 
Corn can be easily raised in the Connecticut River Val¬ 
ley, and it is now proved beyond any doubt that of all 
kinds of forage silage is the cheapest and best feed. For 
milk and butter nothing equals it, and nothing will bring 
up worn-out lands so quickly or so cheaply as the practice 
of ensilage, as silage is a luxurious feed which can be fed 
successfully to all dairy stock, and these make manure to 
enrich the farm. Seventy-five dollars will build a silo 
with a capacity of 50 tons, and 50 tons of silage in the 
dairy are equal to 20 tons of Timothy hay for milk and 
butter. I have tried clover, Hungarian Grass, rye, and 
other crops ; but, in view of its large yield per acre, I find 
corn the best crop for the silo. Rye Is much more likely to 
heat while being fed out, because it is more porous—not so 
full of juice—and consequently it is more difficult to press 
the air out of it. It is better to use the rye crop right from 
the field for soiling in the early spring, than to silo it. 
Hungarian, thoroughly packed, will be quite acid. Clover 
makes a beautiful feed from the silo, but must be put in 
with no rain on it, and be cut when the blossoms are two- 
thirds dead, or when quite ripe. Cut in this way, and well 
weighted, it is a choice feed. Indeed, it makes the very 
best silage—the most complete food in itself that can be 
had. 
In some instances I have tried to Improve the quality of 
the silage by salting it. I have used two quarts to the ton, 
but could not see that it made any improvement, or that 
cattle ate the silage with better relish. I keep rock salt 
within reach of all my cows at all times, and believe it 
better to allow the animals to eat salt when they choose, 
rather than to compel them to do so. Salt is a poison, and 
it is possible to get too much into the feed. A neighbor of 
mine salts heavily to induce his cows to drink more water, 
believing that an increase in the amount of water drank 
will make an increase in the yield of milk; but this is at 
least questionable. Any farmer with, say, six cows, can 
cut and dry corn-fodder and get along without a silo ; but 
a farm with 12 cows and upwards, in a region where corn 
will grow, needs a silo. A silo means more cows; more 
cows mean more manure, and that means better crops, and 
better crops mean increased profit. I have a herd of 130 
head, mostly grade Jerseys, with some thoroughbreds, and 
they are fed largely on silage, hayed oats cut in the milk, 
and corn-fodder, hay being of the least account for their 
feed. I would rather have 2)4 tons of silage, or one ton of 
the hayed oats and corn-fodder, than the best ton of Timo¬ 
thy hay ever grown. It would be better for every farmer 
to sell all his Timothy for a money crop. Whatever hay is 
fed to a dairy should be as much as possible of clover. 
Holyoke, Mass. w. u. wilkinson. 
FALL CARE OF MEADOWS. 
The last crop of hay in Schuyler County, N. Y., was the 
largest ever harvested. Whether this means that a large 
amount of plant food will be sold off the farms and the 
meadows be left to take care of themselves is the question. 
The future productiveness of these meadows will depend 
greatly upon their treatment this fall. In preserving the 
strength and vitality of the roots of grass the strict rule 
must be observed of never allowing any of it to ripen 
seed. Its natural end has been accomplished when it has 
ripened its seed and scattered it to the wiuds. In clover 
fields I prefer to cut the second growth with the mowing 
machine, but in Timothy fields sheep answer a very good 
purpose if not allowed to pasture too closely. Last year it 
was not convenient to pasture one field of Timothy, so the 
grass was allowed to head and as soon as the first blossom 
appeared it was mown. This year that field will yield 
nearly three tons per acre, and this will be the fourth 
season it has been mown. All the seeding after wheat and 
rye should be mown, if not for hay, to thicken up the 
bottom and kill such weeds as thistles, rag-weed, etc. 
Two fields of mine last year yielded about one ton per 
acre after wheat and rye; this year they have produced 
about 2>.j tons per acre at the early cutting, and are nearly 
