HAY, FODDER, AND ENSILAGE. 7 



In 1876 Mr. Francis Morris of New York, a large farmer 

 in Westchester County, introduced the French method of 

 preserving green forage in tight pits. 



This process was first made practicable by the persistent 

 experiments of M. Goffart in France, and published to the 

 world by him. Following the example of Mr. IMorris, Mr. 

 Orlando B. Potter of Sing Sing, N.Y., tried experiments 

 upon a very large scale, making the results known in papers 

 read before the State Society of New York, the Farmers' 

 Club of New-York City, and published in various journals. 

 Mr. Potter has made ensilage of red clover, fodder-corn, 

 pearl-millet, West-India millet, and grass. He has also mixed 

 them in the silo, put in layers of various kinds, and always 

 with success when the silo has been tight, well filled, closely 

 trampled, and the forage cut in pieces not more than an 

 inch in length. 



This system was first tried in Massachusetts by Mr. J. M. 

 Bailey of Billerica, who has published a manual upon the 

 subject, and done much to bring it to the attention of 

 farmers. 



Information in regard to the manner of constructing silos, 

 filling them, and feeding ensilage, has been disseminated by 

 means of the institutes and meetings of farmers' clubs, so 

 that the matter is very thoroughly understood. Silos filled 

 last summer show as good results as those reported by 

 Messrs. Morris and Potter. 



The evidence of the persons using the ensilage is strongly 

 in its favor. The success, so far, has met no check, and, if 

 half that is claimed for the system is realized in practice, 

 there will be a great change in our methods of farming. It 

 is proved that silos can be easily and cheaply constructed; 

 that any green crop can be preserved by a simple process ; 

 that cattle readily eat it, and that large quantities may be 

 fed without immediate injurious effect; that cattle so fed 

 require but a small quantity of water. It is asserted by the 

 advocates of ensilage that crops of corn-fodder of from fifty 

 to seventy tons can be taken from an acre at a cost of about 

 two dollars a ton. Candid and careful judges, and accurate 

 experiments, both in this country and in Europe, do not put 

 the average product at twenty-five tons, and it is doubtful 

 if a larger yield of a watery, green crop would have a pro- 

 portionate value. 



