72 iSTATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The amount of ensilage to be used depends entirely upon its quality and 

 upon tlio pliuis of the farmer. 



Mr. Mills, for ii)stiiiice, could make up a full ration for a cow of 1,000 

 pounds live weight, by feeding daily eighty pounds of his ensilage and five aud 

 one-half pounds of cottonseed meal; while at the college farm, with five 

 pounds of cotton seed meal, one hundred and twenty pounds were necessary. 

 In these rations nearly all the carbhydrates needed, and a portion of the pro- 

 tein and fat is furnished at a very low price by the ensilage; the balance of 

 the protein and fat is drawn from the cotton seed meal. If desirable, a 

 much smaller quantity of the ensilagj could be used, and the carbhydrates 

 given in form of corn meal or any feed rich in these compounds; in ensilage 

 they can be had, however, much cheaper than in any feed known to us at pres- 

 ent. One thing must be considered : If thequality of the ensilage obliges the 

 farmer to feed his cows more than eighty or ninety pounds daily per head, 

 there is reason to fear they will scour. The amounts fed by the above named 

 gentlemen have varied from sixty-five to eighty pounds, and with these amounts 

 no trouble whatever has been experienced. We therefore conclude that if the 

 ensilage is of first-class quality, eighty pounds per day will furnish an animal 

 with the full amount of carbhydrates; if it is of medium quality, it will be 

 safer to limit the amount to about ninety pounds, furnishing the rest of the 

 carbhydrates in form of feed or straw. 



From the above experiment we feel justified in concluding that milch cows 

 can be safely fed large quantities of this fodder, and that it is a perfect sub- 

 stitute for hay. The question of expense we reserve for a future bulletin. 



Geokge H. Cook, Director. 



SOKGHUM AND MILLET. 



Our silo has been filled this season with Bailey's ensilage corn, which yielded 

 eighteen tons per acre. This was weighed when put in the silo and will be 

 weighed when taken out to determine the loss in weight by this process of cur- 

 ing. The chemical department made an analysis of the corn when put in the 

 silo, and will analyze a sample of the ensilage when the silo is opened. The 

 ensilage will also be compared with corn of the same variety, grown contigu- 

 ous on same kind of soil and cut up and dried after the ordinary plan. The 

 Doura and Sorghum which were sown to ensilage were not as mature as would 

 have been desij-able when the silo was filled ; but a load of each was put in the 

 silo. I am convinced that the Doura is not at all equal to corn as a forage 

 plant for us, and I am almost as positive as regards the sorghum. One-half 

 acre plats were sown with German millet, common millet, and Hungarian 

 grass. Of these the German millet seems to be the most desirable both as 

 regards quality and yield. 



POTATOES. 



Of the potatoes planted we have been pleased with the Early and Late Ohio. 

 The Dun more yields well and is of very good quality and uniform size. The 

 Champion (a Scotch potato) requires a long season evidently, as the vines are 



