!4 THE BOOK OF ENSILAGE. 



It has long been apparent to every observer, that 

 there is an immense loss sustained in the manner in 

 which all forage-crops have been cured from time im- 

 memorial, viz., by desiccation or drying. While it is 

 agreed by all that a larger proportion of all vegetable 

 growth comes from the atmosphere than from the soil, 

 it does not appear to have struck scientific agriculturists 

 that during the process of curing by drying, a very 

 large proportion of the most valuable elements of nutri- 

 tion are returned to the atmosphere from whence they 

 came. 



" The cow which gives us in summer while feeding on 

 green grass such excellent milk, and butter of such 

 agreeable color and flavor, furnishes us in the winter, 

 when she eats the same grass converted into hay, 

 an inferior quality of milk, and pale, insipid butter. 

 What modifications has this grass undergone in changing 

 into hay? These modifications are numerous. It is 

 sufficient to cross a meadow when the new-mown grass 

 is undergoing desiccation, to recognize that it is losing 

 an enormous quantity of its substance that exhales in 

 the air in agreeable odors, but which, if retained in the 

 plant, would serve at least as condiments favoring diges- 

 tion and assimilation. All stock-raisers know how rap- 

 idly young stock increases in weight in summer upon 

 green pastures, and also that the same amount of grass 

 converted into hay and judiciously fed in winter does 

 not always prevent them from shrinking, and seldom 

 gives any increase. 



"The loss by desiccation in fine weather under the 

 best conditions, added to that caused by the physical 

 modifications which render mastication and digestion of 

 the hay more difficult than of the grass, and conse- 

 quently assimilation less complete, merits the most seri- 



