DAIRY MEETING. 



147 



- A collection for special prizes for boys in the judging contest 

 for corn and potatoes was started by Dr. B. A. Bailey of Wis- 

 casset, who contributed $2 for this purpose. A fund of $15.50 

 was raised, and on motion of Dr. Bailey it was voted that a 

 committee of three be appointed to make the proper distribu- 

 tion of the fund raised. The committee was appointed as fol- 

 lows : Dr. B. A. Bailey, John P. Buckley, Rutillus Alden. 



SILOS AND SILAGE. 



By E. A. Stanford, West Kennebunk. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen: 



I felt some little hesitancy in coming here to speak to you 

 men who are, for the most part, thoroughly acquainted with 

 silos. Fortunately, I found one man who has not a silo, and 

 I now feel that the time will be well spent if we can show that 

 man that he can well afford to build and maintain a silo on his 

 farm. 



The subject of silage and silage crops is not a new one. The 

 Egyptians built silos way back in the time of their prosperity. 

 These silos were built for storing dry grain rather than green 

 fodder, but were nevertheless to all intents and purposes, silos. 

 In 1786, the Italians preserved grain and forage in pits and 

 stone jars for feed. In 1883, we read of the preserving of 

 vetches and clover in Germany in silos. Between i860 and 

 1870, Samuel Jones, an Englishman, stored chopped rye cut 

 green, and fed the fermented material to a great extent. In 

 1875, ^lanley INIiles, of Michigan, and in 1876, Francis Alorris 

 of Maryland, were the first two men to build silos and use 

 silage in the United States. In 1882, the Department of Agri- 

 culture of the United States in making a study of the subject, 

 found only ninety-one silos in the country. It is, however, 

 probable there were others. Eighty-one of these were along 

 the Atlantic seaboard. That is a brief history of the silo. At 

 the present time there is hardly a dairy section but that is blessed 

 with at least a few silos within its borders. 



