EXPERIMENTS WITH ENSILAGE. 423 



do. I am inclined to believe that the green corn can be cut and placed in the 

 silo at as little cost as the fodder can be cut, dried and passed through the 

 cutting box before feeding ; and this, too, at a season of the year when the 

 work can be more economically performed than in the winter. 



SILOS. 



I need only add to my former report on this point that experience confirms the 

 statement then made that any material may be used in the construction of silos 

 that will exclude the air ; that it is better to have several silos, or divisions 

 rather than a very large one; that weighting with stone, barrels of earth, or 

 sacks of grain is likely to be more satisfactory than a screw which may not 

 receive attention at the right time ; and that the silo is one of the most 

 economical methods of providing shelter for fodder. In no way, perhaps, can 

 the same equivalent in dried fodder be secured with so little expense. Several 

 silos were built in the State last year of wood, and I have yet to learn that 

 any one of them has proven a failure. 



The results of the experiment so far as comparing ensilage with dried fod- 

 der corn show that when ensilage was substituted for the fodder corn in the 

 second period there was an increase in the weight of the cows and in the milk 

 yield from Nos. 6, 7, and 8, while No. 9 shows an increase in weight, but a 

 shrinkage in milk yield. I should here say that the corn fodder was of good 

 quality and . the cows were fed what they would eat clean. It will be noticed 

 that the daily ration of corn fodder equals in weight nearly one-third of the 

 daily ensilage ration. 1 am confirmed in the belief that three tons of the 

 ensilage is equal in feeding value to one ton of hay. The yield of ensilage 

 corn was eighteen tons per acre, equivalent in feeding value in a combined 

 ration to six tons of hay. Ensilage means the growing of an equivalent to six 

 or ten tons of hay per acre. Admit, only, that three pounds of ensilage will 

 take the place of one pound of hay in a mixed cattle ration, even then if animals 

 fed with it thrive, are healthy, and present a general appearance much like 

 that resulting from grass feeding, coming out after four or five months' con- 

 finement with sleek coats, with not much, if any, loss of weight, and with no 

 more shrinkage of milk yield than we ought reasonably to expect as the time 

 from calving increases, we must conclude that there is some virtue in fodder 

 prepared in this manner. Claim only this, and is it not a profitable and a 

 practical method of securing large yields of corn, sorghum, and other forage 

 crops, and preparing them for convenient and economical feeding? 



It is to be regretted that so many extravagant statements have been made 

 in relation to the value of ensilage — the number of cattle that could be kept 

 from the product of a single acre, etc. Practical, thinking men have been 

 deterred from investigating this subject and giving it such attention as it really 

 deserves, because of the wild statements of impractical enthusiasts. 



ENSILAGE A CHEAP SUBSTITUTE FOR ROOTS. 



I am more than ever convinced that the idea I suggested two years ago that 

 ensilage will prove a cheap substitute for roots, will be approved by any farmer 

 who will make the trial. Farmers who have had experience in feeding stock 

 know how desirable it is to have some succulent food as a part ration at least, 

 during our long, cold winters. Roots are a desirable cattle food, but an 

 expensive crop for the average farmer to raise and handle. But few farmers 



