SILOS AND ENSILAGE.

Abridged by the Secretary from a Discussion in Agricultural Hall, Boston, and reported in the "Massachusetts Ploughman."

ADDRESS BY GEORGE B. FORRISTALL,

OF THE STATE ALMSHOUSE, TEWKSBURY.

The subject, as announced, may, I think, be also termed the "New Agriculture," as after an introduction of six years there are only about six hundred and fifty silos in the United States. Like all new theories and systems which tend to overthrow the old established usages and customs which have worn so deep ruts in the progress of agriculture, the system of ensilage feeding has proved no exception, for in the main it has received only opposition and doubt. Perhaps it is best it should be so, as by no other means can any new system which has true merit make a healthy growth: so that by the time it becomes an acknowledged success, the best manner of procedure to accomplish the best results may be thoroughly understood by the masses, who are to be benefited thereby. Likewise, on the other hand, any new theory or idea which has no merit is quickly buried in oblivion, leaving the survival of the fittest to live on. One peculiarity of the contest is, that the opposition has been aided and abetted by scientific men.

Whatever scientific men may say to the contrary as to the demerits of ensilage, practice has proved, and I think fully proved, them to be in error. That there have been failures and disappointments in many cases I do not doubt, but that the failure was in themselves, or in their manner of procedure, I also hope to show you. That it is the great and only boon which is

to elevate the New England farmer, so that he can successfully compete with the vast wholesale robbery of fertility at the West, I do not claim, but that it will prove a powerful lever in his hands I cannot for a moment doubt. It seems to me that the great purpose of the New England farmer in the present state of affairs—I refer to the great competition from the West-and in the condition in which he finds himself in being near the best market in the world, should be to intensify and extensify his farming operations, and that the great diversity of soil which exists upon most farms in New England will enable him to do this, and thereby enable him to greatly improve his land, and at the same time meet more fully the demands of the markets which surround him. And if he will but use the improved implements for the cultivation of his crops, which are now to be found in the market, he will find himself a much happier and more independent man than at present, and no small share of his happiness will be derived from the increased amount of money which he will find in his pocket. Now if these conditions can be made available, is it not high time that prejudice should be thrown aside, and facts which can be proved grasped hold of so that he may do greater justice to his family and himself?

THE RAISING OF CORN.

How do you propose to commence to extensify and intensify New England agriculture? Well, one of the most important factors in the work is the raising of corn, both for the silo and for grain and stover. We aim for as large crops as possible, and have it economical. Excessive manuring is not profitable. We, having a large quantity of help, do a good deal at composting of barnyard manure and muck from the swamps.

As near as we can judge, the proportions are about as three of muck to two of clear manure, the muck having absorbed the liquid as it falls from the gutters above. We commence spreading this compost as fast as made, beginning in October. We have about twenty-five acres gone over with, at the rate of ten cords per acre, up to this time. We find this method greatly in advance of the old method of piling in heaps, and having to handle it over so much. By adopting this method of fall or early spring manuring, the manure becomes thoroughly incorpo

rated with the soil, and becomes immediately available as plant food, besides greatly lessening the hurry and drive of the old way of doing spring work. In fact, this plan of raising crops, and devoting less area to hay and more to corn, so equalizes the farm work that there does not seem to be any of the old hurry and drive to any of its operations. We plow the land as late as possible before planting (which should be done as soon as the 25th of May) with sulky plows, they being a great improvement over the walking plow on plain land, which is the kind of land especially adapted to the corn crop.

HARROWING.

After plowing we harrow the land, if it was sod land, with the Randall disk harrow, which cuts the land up in good order, but fails to level off the ground and fill up the dead furrows, so we follow this with the Perry spring tooth harrow, which does this levelling off and pulverizing in the most perfect shape. If I could have but one harrow, I should certainly have the Perry spring tooth. You now want to remove all loose stones, if any, and all the clods and rubbish which may impede future cultivation of the crop. We use for planting the corn the "Albany Corn Planter," which works very well, although there may be better ones in the market. Setting the markers so as to run the rows three and one half feet apart, using for seed a little less than one bushel per acre of the large white flat Southern corn. As soon as the corn begins to break ground, or before if the land is likely to prove weedy, you want to go over the land with the Thomas smoothing harrow. If the land is smooth and free from rubbish, you will find that the corn growing down in the depression made by the corn-planter has not been disturbed, while millions of little hair like germs of weeds have been brought to the action of the sun, and will be annihilated almost instantly.

Should the land which you wish to devote to ensilage corn be rough or rocky, a better way would be to mark out the furrows with a corn-marker or double mold-board plow, scattering the corn by hand in the furrows, which should be about three inches or a little more in depth. This can be covered very quickly by the Thomas smoothing harrow, and when the corn is breaking ground, nearly the same work as is done by the Thomas harrow

on smooth land can be done by the Centennial or Planet cultivator, by gauging the teeth so as to cover all the ground to within an inch or two of the row of corn. In seven or eight days, or just as soon as there are any indications of the weeds' making the least appearance above ground, go over with the Thomas harrow or horse cultivator.

RYE TO BE PLOWED UNDER.

If you use the cultivator, you want to use one like those last mentioned, as they practically do all the work up to the very nearest point of the growing plant. After this you want to go over with the cultivator as often as once in ten days, until the corn becomes so large as to prevent further cultivation. This would be our plan of procedure up to this point of the growth of the corn where manure was used. But a paper upon ensilage-growing in this age, when fertilizer enters so largely into the economy of the farmer's management, would not be complete without giving what we consider the best method of procedure in corn or ensilage-growing with the help of fertilizer. We would take plain land, if possible, and turn with plow in the early fall, and apply 1,000 pounds of fertilizer and four bushels of rye, harrowing them well into the soil.

By the last of May you should have a large amount of vegetable matter to turn under. After turning this green crop under, apply 1,000 pounds more of fertilizer. Then proceed as with land manured with compost.

My reason for turning under a crop of rye is to supply the soil with plenty of vegetable humus, which light, sandy land is generally deficient in; and when humus is applied to such land, it is a great preventive of drouth, and also makes the fertilizer much more certain in its effect. Now as there is no more to do to our crop of corn until harvest time, let us take a little time to consider what has been the expense of this corn-growing by the two methods, and what on the average will be the amount in tons per acre in the fall.

FEEDING AND MANURING.

Well, we feed our cows at the state farm six quarts of fine feed and two quarts of cotton seed per day, with fifty pounds of