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THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



It will be seen by what has been previously stated that it is of the highest importance to 

 cut the fodder for ensilage very fine. Some cut to the length of one inch, but a half or four- 

 tenths of an inch is greatly to be preferred, and although it requires more time and labor, it 

 is a safer practice, insuring a better preservation. 



How to Fill a Silo. The following directions for filling a silo are given by Monsieur 

 Goffart: &quot;It is necessary to procure, either by purchase or rental, a motive-power and a pow 

 erful feed-cutter. Large farms are generally provided with these machines, but the average 

 farmer will have to hire. It may be that the traveling contractors for threshing will become 

 contractors for cutting maize for ensilage, with a machine that possesses sufficient weight to 

 be solid, and is also portable. Filling the silo should be done as rapidly as possible, and the 

 layer of maize should be kept level all the time. The greater the compression, the better 

 will be the preservation. The packing along the walls (which should be as smooth as possi 

 ble,) should be attended to carefully. 



SILVER & DEMINO ENSILAGE CUTTER. 



&quot;When the silo is filled to the top and carefully leveled, spread along the surface short 

 straw four or five centimeters thick, then place on top of this boards fitting close together. 

 These should be put across the silo in order that when it is being fed out they may be taken 

 off one by one, as the silo is cut down vertically. Upon this flooring there should be piled 

 abundance of weight, such as stones, bricks, logs of wood, or old bags filled with dirt, etc. 

 At Burtin I have abandoned using loose earth as a means of compression, as it infiltrates into 

 the ensilage, and adhering to the walls, a vacuum forms as the maize settles away, which is 

 destructive. 



Any ridge on the silos is objectionable, as the ensilage cannot be sufficiently compressed, 

 and the dry rot soon attacks it and communicates to the material below. As to using salt in 

 the silos, it is not very important, and I often omit it without any bad result; but I believe 

 the moderate use of salt is favorable to the health of animals, and I sometimes mix in my 

 ensilage one kilogramme to a cubic metre of maize, the average weight of which, after 

 being packed, is 812 kilogrammes. 



