SILOS AND ENSILAGE. 25 



mper seeded by corn, but will remain as now, the king of crops. The 

 owner of light and sandy lands, where corn ordinarily delights 

 to grow and grass produces but scanty yields, may well consider 

 whether a revolution in the system may not be desirable. By com- 

 bining concentrated foods with the large production of green corn, 

 a large anioimt of stock food ma}' be secured to a given ai-ea, but 

 that it will be at a greatly reduced cost from present management 

 is not quite conceded. 



From whatever standpoint, then, this question of silos and ensi- 

 lage is viewed, the extravagant claims and wild estimates of the 

 interested enthusiasts, which have been of late thrown upon the 

 attention of the farmer, are not sustained. Facts should always 

 have their due weight, and farmers should always be progressive, 

 — willing to give all methods and pi-actices an impartial and candid 

 hearing, but at the same time be so cautious and considerate, as to 

 ever be guarded against any great and sudden innovations on what 

 are now conceded to be the best practices. Our agriculture is not 

 so thoroughly and radically wrong as to need to be completely rev- 

 olutionized at one swoop of the reformer's wand. 



What has been intended here, is to present the subject in all 

 its bearings, calling attention to its advantages, and presenting its 

 objections, that any farmer considering the practicability of this 

 method of preserving stock food, may not be deceived by highly 

 colored representations, but maj- be aided in reaching just those 

 conclusions which experience with its use, would in time bring. 

 While, without question, silos will come into use with those feeders 

 wishing to preserve sugar beet leaves and beet pulp, and where 

 fodder corn is to be substituted in place of pasturage and hay mows, 

 yet it is not admitted that all our rich pasturage is to be given up 

 and our fields of waving timothy and rank clover exchanged for 

 green corn. And this position is taken on the ground that a further 

 trial and greater experience will not prove the change a desirable 

 one onl}' in isolated cases. So, too, it may again be repeated, it 

 will not be found economy' to ensilage grasses or other forage crops, 

 which can be easily prepared for preservation by drying. 



