190 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



[Dr. Faxon exhibited some specimens of his ensilage, 

 which were critically examined, and commented upon by 

 many of the audience.] 



Mr. Hersey. I have given this subject of ensilage a good 

 deal of attention by way of investigation, not by practice. 

 I have no silo of my own. I did intend to build one, and 

 therefore I endeavored to ascertain all that I possibly could 

 in regard to the system ; but, so far as I have gone, I have 

 not felt, that, with my limited means, I could yet afford to 

 try the experiment of building an expensive silo. I have 

 listened to the paper which has just been read with a great 

 deal of interest, and there is much in it with which I can 

 agree. The profits which are to come from building a silo 

 I think, as yet, are doubtful. The farmers of Massachusetts 

 generally do not keep more than three or four cows, and 

 therefore they do not want large quantities of this green 

 fodder. If they build an expensive silo (and if they build 

 a good one it will be expensive), they will certainly be out 

 at least fifty dollars a year for interest on the cost of the 

 silo, and repairs. You can all of you readily see how much 

 a silo would do towards keeping three or four cows. There- 

 fore it seems to me, that at present we are not sufficiently 

 well-informed in regard to this matter, to go into it very 

 largely ; but I hope that those who have silos, and those who 

 have ample means to build more for experimental purposes, 

 will go on, and that they will give to the farmers of Massa- 

 chusetts that exact knowledge which is necessary for them 

 to work, and work successfully. You can all of you see that 

 this ensilage is not perfect ; and, as I understand, it cannot 

 be kept without losing a portion of its sugar, unless it is 

 kept very nearly air-tight. Now the question comes up. 

 Can farmers afford to lose the sugar out of their corn- 

 stalks? That is an important question, and one which 

 will be finally settled by accurate experiments. In order to 

 test this, I say that now, more than ever, we want an experi- 

 ment station established by the State. If we had an experi- 

 ment station, how easy it would be for them to test this 

 matter, and to give to the farmers of Massachusetts the 

 result, and thus save them from making, each one, the ex- 

 periment for himself! Were I to give any advice to the 

 farmers of Massachusetts, 1 should to-day give the same ad- 



