272 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



for the silo ; and I did not feel that the cost of building my 

 silo was money paid out, except what I paid for the cement. 

 So that it is not such a formidable thing to build a silo. A 

 good farmer of common sense, like my brother Hersey, with 

 one or two men, can do all the work, without calling in any 

 other outside help — do it at odd jobs through the winter, 

 when, as Mr. Russell said last night at the banquet, farmers 

 were rather in the habit, now that machinery was so abun- 

 dant and so perfectly adapted to the work of the farm, of 

 hibernating, like the bear and the woodchuck. Instead of 

 doiug that, let him go to work and build a silo, and work in 

 his farm help as he can, and he will get a silo without feeling 

 the cost scarcely at all. The cement is all that he will have 

 to pa}'- for in cash. It is not a formidable thing to build a 

 silo ; and it is a thing which a farmer, with his ordinary -farm 

 help, can accomplish with ver}^ little money paid out. Now, 

 that is my own experience. I was asked here last night 

 what was the cost of my silo ; and I stated what would be 

 the cost, supposing I ]iired every thing done. 



Now, Mr. Hersey says that to be happy is the great thing 

 to be desired. That is what I have been trying to get at all 

 my lifetime; and I can tell you that I never was really happy 

 in seeing my cattle feed, until I built my silo. It has made 

 me terribly unhappy to go into the barn and see them eating 

 hay that was worth twenty-five dollars a ton, and realize that 

 by spring they would have eaten off their heads. That has 

 worried me, and made me feel unhappy. But I tell you, since 

 I have been feeding ensilage, when I go in and see my cows, 

 as I do two or three times a day (which has not been my 

 practice), I am a happy man. I rejoice to go in there and 

 see them eating that ensilag-e that has cost me little or noth- 

 ing. They are thriving, and they are happier than I am. It 

 is a meeting of mutual admiration ; and, if that is not a happy 

 meeting, I don't know what is. 



I am not going into any further particulars. I think you 

 have got my ideas pretty clearly. But I did want to bring 

 before you how easily a silo can be built by a farmer of lim- 

 ited means without laying out much money. 



Mr. Slade. How far from your barn or place of feeding 

 is your silo ? 



Mr. Ware. The barn where I keep my cattle is in one 



