716 I>R. 0HA8E' 8 RECIPES. 



VI. Q. Weighting down, what materials are used, amount required and 

 how applied? 



A. Any heavy material may be used. The amount required depends on 

 various conditions. It will be noticed that practice and opinions differ widely. 

 The object is always to make the ensilage compact, and thereby leave little room 

 for air, on which depend fermentation and decay. In a deep silo the greater 

 part is sufficiently compressed by a few feet of ensilage at the top, so that there 

 is small percentage of waste, even when no weight is applied above the ensilage. 

 Screws are used by some instead of weights. The objection to them is that 

 they are not self-acting like gravity. 



VII. What is the cost of a silo? 



A. The cost of silos, per ton of capacity, varies from $4 to $5, for walls 

 of heavy masonry and superstructures of elaborate finish, and 50 cents or less 

 for the simplest wooden silos. Earth silos, without wall, can be excavated with 

 plow and scraper, when other work is not pressing, at a trifiing cost. 



VIII. Q. What crops are used for ensilage? 



A. Corn takes the lead of ensilage crops. Ry-e is grown by many In' con- 

 nection with corn — the same ground producing a crop of each in a season. 

 Oats, sorghum, Hungarian grass, field peas, clover — in fact almost every crop 

 used in soiling has been stored in silos and taken out in good condition. There 

 are indications that some materials have their value enhanced by the fermenta- 

 tion of the silo, while in others there is loss. The regular values for ensilage, 

 of the different soiling crops, can only be determined through careful tests, 

 often repeated, by practical men. All thoughtful farmers would be glad to get 

 more value from the bulky fodder of their corn crops than is found in any of 

 the common methods. There are accounts of plucking the ears when the ker- 

 nels were well glazed, and putting the fodder into the silo. The value of such 

 ensilage, and the loss, if any, to the grain are not sufficiently ascertained to 

 warrant positive statements. 



IX. Q. What is the best method of planting and cultivation? 



A. Thorough preparation before planting is essential. Corn, sorghimi, 

 and similar crops should be planted in rows. The quantity of seed corn varies 

 from 8 quarts to a bushel and one-half for an acre. A smoothing harrow does 

 the work of cultivating perfectly, and with little expense, while the corn is 

 small. 



X. Q. At what state of development is the fodder the most valuable for 

 ensilage? 



A. The common practice is to put crops into the silo when their full 

 growth has been reached, and before ripening begins. Manifestly one rule will 

 not answer all purposes. The stock to be fed and the object in feeding must be 

 considered in determining when the crop should be cut On this point must 

 depend much of the value of ensilage. 



XI. Q, What weight of fodder is generally produced to the acre? 



A. Corn produces more fodder per acre than any other crop mentioned. 

 The average for corn is not far from 20 tons— which speaks well for land and 



