722 DR. CHASE'S RECIPES. 



The entire cost of the crop in the silo was slightly less than $2 a ton, whic^ 

 Gen. Grout believes can be considerably reduced. Like the other gentlemen 

 named, he thinks the feeding value of corn ensilage equal to twice its weight of 

 average hay. I fear this will prove an over-estimate. 



" We, in Vermont, are gratified to find that there is not going to be so much 

 difficulty from the freezing of ensilage as we feared. "When the whole of the 

 silo is below the surface no frost enters. The slight fermentation which goes 

 on in the mass keeps the temperature well above freezing. This fermentation 

 is very slight, and when the face of the mass is cut down in feeding that which 

 remains undisturbed is unaffected; but that which is cut out, if left exposed to 

 the air in a place where the temperature is not very low, will ferment so as to 

 be decidedly warm in 12 hours. In this condition it is greedily eaten by the 

 stock. It has then a sliglitly alcoholic odor, and a more or less acid taste. The 

 better the preservation the less there will be of the latter." 



Remarks. — This item was so distinct and covered so much of importance 

 for one to know who is contemplating a beginning with ensilage, I could not 

 satisfy myself without giving it. The next and last item is upon the question 

 of feeding ensilage to dairy cows and fattening steers, very plain and distinct, 

 and of much importance to those who have no experience in its use for these 

 pui-poses. 



Ensilage for Dairy Cows and Fattening Steers, How to 

 Feed. — Tlie following is from a correspondent of the Country Gentleman, who 

 says: " Such grave uncertainties seem to pervade the minds of many farmers as 

 to the use of ensilage as food for milch cows; such doubts as to a possible 

 peculiar taste of the milk, cream, or butter made from this food, that with your 

 permission I will give my experience of last season, hoping it may lead some 

 doubters to the right track. Last year I built a silo of 200 tons capacity, wholly 

 ot stone and Rosendale cement, with a frame and roof for cover. It is a good 

 one (I believe in no other), no water can get in, no sap from the corn can get 

 out, as so many complain of when their silos are not half built, or made from 

 stale cement or any poor material. On account of the long-extended drouth in 

 this part of New Jersey, I was able to scrape together of good, bad and indif- 

 ferent, half -dried, wilted, grown and half-grown corn, some 30 tons of ensilage 

 after cured. This, however, was enough to satisfy my mind on this subject, if 

 there ever had been any doubts. I used it as food for cows 110 days continu- 

 ously, until all was fed out. Within a week from the time we began feeding 

 hay, and though with an addition of grain, the cows lost at least 25 per cent, of 

 milk, the cream did not make as much butter, and the butter was not of as good 

 color or flavor. During the time of feeding ensilage we were unable to dis- 

 cover any other than the most satisfactory taste to milk, cream, or butter. The 

 cows were in the most perfect state of health, and kept in fine condition. 



Fattening Steers. — I fed for 90 days 8 western steers, which averaged a gain 

 of over IJ^ lbs. per day. The ration for cows and oxen was 22 lbs. of ensilage 

 morning and night, and 15 lbs. of cut cornstalks at noon. The cows had 3 qts. 

 of cornmeal and 2 qts. of wheat bran per day, and the steers had 4 qts. of corn- 

 meal for 45 days and 5 qts. for the last 45 days. Our success with the steers 



