THE 1RR1GA Tl ON A GE. 227 



The best ensilage, I have said, is made from sweet corn taken from 

 the field while the leaves and stocks are yet green and while the ear is 

 yet in the milk. This cut in pieces i to i inch in length by an ensilage 

 cutter, is filled into the silo at the top by an elevating attachment to the 

 cutter and evenly distiibuted over the silo and well tramped and packed 

 down. You will hear much of weighting and covering the top of the silo 

 when full. If you do not wish to use it at once it is well to cover the top 

 with hay and weight, but we did nothing of the sort; we began to use 

 from the silo the next day after it was filled and relied upon the height 

 of the mass to subject the under portions to sufficient pressure. The 

 process through which the ensilage goes is the following: We have a 

 mass of living vegetable cells packed closely together with but a small 

 amount of oxygen present. Oxygen is absorbed and carbonic acid is 

 evolved. Starch is converted inlo sugar; out of part of the sugar then 

 is evolved by the acid ferments present, acetic, lactic and butyric acids. 

 Heat is evolved; when the temperature rises above 122 P. fermentation 

 is arrested. If it rises above 150 F. vegetable cells are destroyed. 

 Corn loo nearly ripened is likely to cause this result by evolving too 

 much heat. When all the oxygen is used sugars remain and the result. is 

 so called sweet ensilage. When too much water is present there is an 

 excess of acid fermentation and the result is sour ensilage (analogous to 

 sauerkraut). Both varieties are eaten freely by stock and they thrive on 

 both. The sweet is better for milk. Very readily assimilable and nutri- 

 tious peptones are evolved out of the nitrogenous elements oi the corn. 

 Ensilage is a wholesome and nutritious food for cattle. It is succulent 

 and digestible. It is cheap. The milk from cows fed upon it is of good 

 quality and taste. Cattle thrive well upon it and a larger number of cat- 

 tle may be supported upon a given area than in any other way. I re- 

 duced a pasture range for three hundred cows from four hundred to a, 

 little more than 100 acres by its use It makes an excellent summer 

 feed. I have seen stock come in from grass up to their eyes and eat en 

 silage greedily. The farmer need have to fear of his stock running down 

 in dry seasons for want of grass if he has ensilage. 



Its cost in Illinois is about $1.00 per ton. It ought not to cost more 

 than half or three fourths that in Nebraska or Kansas. The cost of the 

 silo is about 11.25 per ton of storage capacity. 



I believe it would pay the railroads to haul lumber for silos free in 

 the semi-arid regions. 



