1882.] ENSILAGE. 109 



sey was subjected to chemical analysis, which I think more 

 of in respect to fodders tlian Mr. Hurd does as yet, and by 

 tlie help of that analysis a ration was fixed, mainly of ensi- 

 lage, but with the addition of some other materials of which 

 cotton seed was the principal — I have forgotten the others. 

 The ration was calculated on the basis of the German stand- 

 ards, which have been reduced from a very great number of 

 experiments, and that ration was fed to milch cows. The 

 animals ate it with relish. In some cases it produced a little 

 scouring, but that was checked by diminishing the ration 

 somewhat, and kept well in hand without difficulty, and the 

 result amply justified the experiment. It showed that the 

 animals keep up the quality and quantity of milk, but it did 

 not show that there was any miraculous power in ensilage. 

 It responded to the chemical analysis and gave the results 

 which the analysis led the chemist to anticipate. I do not 

 doubt that fresh corn fodder could be put into a ration, and 

 produce practically the same results. I think ensilage is a 

 first-rate thing, for anything which is attractive to the animal 

 is an advantage to it, if not to the farmer. This keeping cat- 

 tle all winter long on dried grass alone is simply a brutal 

 piece of business. It is a wasteful piece of business, it is a 

 brutal piece of business, to make an animal grind over a lot 

 of almost worthless material for the purpose of extracting a 

 small quantity of nutriment. 



Mr. Hurd. I am very glad that Prof. Johnson is here, and 

 has said just what he has. It cannot but have a favorable 

 effect upon the future discussion of this question. At the 

 same time, I want to ask him just one question, and that is, 

 how in the present state of knowledge he would account for 

 the fact that my cows consumed from one hundred to one 

 hundred and twenty-five pounds of green corn fodder a day, 

 when the same cattle will not eat over sixty pounds of ensi- 

 lage, if there is not an increased quantity of nutriment in the 

 fodder in that condition ? What other possible solution is 

 there when seemingly the cow eats the ensilage with greater 

 relish than she ever did the corn ? 



Prof. Johnson. I cannot tell you. 



