SILO MADE AVAILABLE. 187 



as distinct from the how. It is not necessary to cut it to 

 keep it; and there are some reasons why it should not be 

 done. 



Prudential considerations. — The cost of cutting machinery 

 is considerable ; the work of lilling the silo, when once the 

 work is begun, must continue without intermission, except, 

 say for a day ; a large number of men are required to handle 

 the fodder, and tramp the mass in the pit to keep it from 

 heating too much, and rotting before the crop is fairly 

 housed ; and in many places power and labor may not be 

 obtained. In regard to heating : this cannot be lightly con- 

 sidered or underrated. In cutting the fodder — I now speak 

 of corn — into such small pieces, in the mashing to which 

 much of it must be subjected the chances of rapid oxidation 

 are increased many fold; for the points of contact with the 

 air are a thousand times more than when the stalk is exposed 

 to the air at the bottom only, where it was cut from the 

 stump. 



Another tiling in regard to this heating : it is a true oxi- 

 dation of the more easily destructible compounds, and does 

 not resemble the changes taking place from catalysis : for, 

 in the cutting and mashing, the silicious envelop — the air- 

 tight and water-tiglit covering nature provided to keep de- 

 struction at bay — has been entirely destroyed ; and changes 

 that might have taken place at the expiration of weeks, 

 possibly, have taken place at the earliest possible period. 



We know that green corn-fodder can be left loosely in 

 mass, uncut, for a length of time sufficient to deliver to 

 acetous fermentation and utter destruction the same amount 

 of fodder cut into inch pieces. 



So far as the actual merits of this method of applying the 

 silo system are in question, I am not convinced that it is the 

 best. 



But there is a side to this question of altogether a differ- 

 ent range. We have in Massachusetts, everywhere in fact, 

 one and two man farms. If these farms are to have any 

 benefit of the silo system, there must be one and two man 

 silos. If money were not wanting to build expensive pits, 

 and purchase the cutting-machiner}^ the labor is wanting. 

 We cannot make the farm to fit the silo : therefore we must 

 make the sUo to fit the farm. Can this be done ? It can. 



