CHAPTER XXVI. 



ILLUSTRATING THE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF ENSILAGE. 



THAT it is a highly nutritious food is proven by the 

 fact that my cows, fed upon it during the winter, brought 

 me very fine, large, strong calves, upon their feet and 

 sucking almost as soon as dropped. My Vermont Me- 

 rino ewes sheared upon an average 9 pounds of wool, 

 which I sold for 30 cents a pound at home. They also 

 brought fine, strong, vigorous lambs. The lambs were 

 sired, part of them, by a pure Cotswold ram, and the 

 balance by a pure Oxford down ram. They weighed, 

 when born, from 6 to 12^ pounds each. Some of the 

 Merino ewes bore twins weighing 17^ pounds. My 

 Cotswold ewes did equally well, bringing lambs weigh- 

 ing from 10 to 15^ pounds each when born. 



Some of my Cotswold ewes sheared as high as 16 

 pounds of wool. The whole flock averaged 1 1 pounds 

 7 ounces. 



My Oxford downs averaged over 12 pounds of wool 

 each. The weight of lambs and of fleeces given above 

 proves that no food could be better for sheep. I have 

 never seen young cattle and calves grow as rapidly in 

 summer upon good pasture as they do in winter in a 

 warm stable and fed upon Ensilage and oil-meal. The 

 mixture is easy to digest ; the animal does not have to 



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