SILOS, ENSILAGE AND SILAGE. 9 



Any green crops may be preserved in silos; in Eng- 

 land, meadow grass, clover, tares, rye, oats, and rye- 

 grass, are the leading crops ensilaged, while in this 

 country, the ensilage of fodder corn has received a larger 

 share of attention. 



In studying the history of ensilage it will be necessary 

 to keep in mind the two leading purposes to which silos 

 are adapted. Among the ancients they were only used 

 for storing and preserving dry grain; while in modern 

 practice they are used almost exclusively for preserving 

 green fodder. 



CHAPTER II. 



HISTORICAL. SILOS FOE STORING GRAIN. 



From the earliest times of which we have any record, 

 silos have been used for the storage of grain, either 

 threshed, or in the ear. According to the best author- 

 ity, the word silo is derived from the Greek, and intro- 

 duced to France from Spain.* 



Pliny says, "the best plan, however, of preserving 

 grain, is to lay it up in trenches, called ' Siri/ as they do 

 in Cappadocia, Thracia, Spain, and at in Af- 

 rica. Particular care is taked to dig these trenches in a 

 dry soil, and a layer of chaff is then placed at the bot- 

 tom; the grain, too, is always stored in the ear. In this 

 case, if no air is allowed to penetrate to the corn, we may 

 rest assured that no noxious insects will ever breed in it. 

 Varro says, that wheat, if thus stored, will keep as long 



*E. Littre, " Dictionnaire de la langue Francaise." La Chatre, " Noveau Dic- 

 tionnaire Universal." See also Jenkins' "Practice of Ensilage," Jour. Roy. Ag. 

 Soc. 1884, pp. 127-8. 



