SILOS, ENSILAGE AKD SILAGE. 89 



In the evolution of the silo, and the practice of ensi- 

 lage, remarkable progress has been made, and the evident 

 tendency is towards simplicity in all directions, and a 

 consequent saving of labor, which of course diminishes 

 the cost of silage. 



The filling of the silo is no longer a task that must be 

 hurried to completion in one or two days, at any cost, 

 and at the sacrifice of all other interests, but it comes in 

 as part of the regular routine of farm work, and requires 

 no extraordinary addition to the usual working force of 

 the farm. 



The usual practice, in filling the silo to avoid acid 

 fermentation, is to put in but two and one-half or three 

 feet in depth of the fodder in a single day, and this is 

 allowed to heat until a temperature of about 125 is 

 secured. Another similar layer is then added and left 

 to heat in the same manner, and this process is repeated 

 until the silo is full. From one to three days, or even 

 more, may intervene between the filling in of any two 

 contiguous layers, according to the condition of the 

 fodder and the progress of the heating process. Each 

 layer is carefully packed at the edges and corners to 

 completely fill all of the space, but any tramping beyond 

 what is required for this purpose is avoided. 



When there are two or more silos, the filling may 

 alternate from one to the other, a layer of fodder being 

 put into one while the others are -heating, and with a 

 single long silo, without a partition, the two ends may 

 be treated as separate silos and alternately filled in the 

 same way. 



As the heat developed in the silage may be lost by 

 conduction and radiation, it is found that a temperature 

 of from 122 to 125 is not as readily obtained at the 

 bottom and corners of the silo, and along the walls, 

 especially if they are of masonry or concrete. 



This difficulty is obviated, to some extent, by care in 



