FATTENING STEERS, ETC. 129 



when it is in blossom. Professor Goessmann writes, that 

 the " corn-plant contains the greatest amount of nutri- 

 ment just before the tassel appears." He may be right if 

 the forage is to be fed directly from the field. I cannot 

 but think, however, that there would be a loss in cutting 

 it so early for preservation by Ensilage. I do not think 

 there can be much loss even if some of the most forward 

 stalks have ears formed, and the kernels in the milk. The 

 yield will certainly be greater, as at that time there are 

 many smaller stalks and suckers which are still growing. 



My method of feeding is as follows : I remove from 

 the Silo 50 pounds of Ensilage (about one cubic foot) 

 for each grown animal daily, mixing one pound of oil- 

 meal or wheat-bran to every 10 pounds of Ensilage. 

 I have a large box standing upon the barn-floor, in 

 which I mix it and let it stand about twenty-four hours 

 before feeding. By that time it is quite warm : the 

 grain addition has had time to become soft, and its 

 digestibility is undoubtedly increased to a great degree. 

 There is in every 50 pounds of Ensilage about 40 

 pounds of water, nearly all the animal requires. It is 

 a great advantage to have this amount of water warm 

 when taken into the stomach. There has been no labor 

 or fuel expended in warming it, which is quite an item. 

 When animals are allowed to drink ice-cold water in 

 winter, there is quite a large percentage of the food 

 which would produce fat consumed in raising the tem- 

 perature of the water they drink from freezing cold to 

 blood heat. 



When I opened my Silo Oct. 12, 1880, I weighed 20 

 head of stock, and commenced to feed them upon the 

 Ensilaged corn. They were all quite thin, having been 

 upon a very poor pasture all summer. They could by 

 no means be called a thrifty lot of cattle, or a lot from 



