194 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



does any damage to those cows that you have kept for 

 several years ? 



Mr. Thompson. No, sir. 



Question. Would you advise farmers with small means 

 to borrow money to put into a silo ? 



Mr. Thompson. That is just the class of men for whom 

 the silo is adapted. A man who has plenty of money of 

 course can do as he has a mind to ; but the man who has but 

 little must economize. As far as my experience goes, two 

 or two tons and a half of ensilage will make as much milk 

 as a ton of the best hay that I can get. 



Question. You said your silo cost you about three 

 hundred dollars: does that include your own work? 



Mr. Thompson. Yes, sir. We had to hire a good part 

 of the job done. We had to hire all the stone drawn, and 

 all the cement drawn. We counted every hour's work we 

 put into it. 



Question. How many times a day do you feed your 

 cows ? 



Mr. Thompson. Only twice, — ensilage, dry fodder, and 

 grain at the same time. 



Mr. Hadwen. Do you consider the quality of your milk 

 as good as it used to be ? 



Mr. Thompson. I will tell you a little circumstance, and 

 you can judge for yourself. My milk goes to Boston. Last 

 September, a year ago, the man who buys my milk found 

 out that I had built a silo, and got my corn in. He had had 

 my milk for a good many years. He came to see me, and 

 said, "You can't make milk out of that stuff: it isn't fit to 

 make milk of." I said, " I have got it in there ; my cows are 

 eating it ; and, if you don't want my milk the first of October, 

 just say so, and I will do something else with it." I waited 

 some four weeks before I heard a word ; and then one of the 

 firm came down there, and looked at the milk, and said it 

 was all right. I saw Mr. Royal last March, and asked him 

 how the milk was. He said he had kept a pretty good 

 watch of it, and it was all right. I had a chance to sell my 

 milk outside, and he would not hear a word about my letting 

 it go. He said, " I want your milk, and you must not let 

 it go." 



The Chairman. I would like to ask Mr. Cheever if this 

 experiment has convinced him. 



