130 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



further states that he has a neighbor, who has produced on 

 twelve acres, corn which made into ensilage proved equiva- 

 lent in feeding to the usual hay crop from two hundred acres 

 of the same farm, being average Ohio meadow land. The 

 best crop of ensilage corn I ever saw weighed was raised 

 under my supervision, at Houghton farm, in 1883, and I have 

 seen few crops growing that appeared to me to be heavier. 

 We used in the same field some special ensilage seed corn, 

 common white Southern corn and early amber cane, — the 

 latter alone, and scattered thinly in the drills of corn to 

 grow with it. The weights obtained from accurately 

 measured acres, the material weighed while passing fresh- 

 cut fi'om the field to the silo, were as follows : Special 

 ensilage corn, 271 tons ; common white Southern corn, 21 

 tons (showing the value of good seed) ; the latter mixed 

 with cane, 29| tons, and the sorghum alone, 20| tons. 

 Although, unfortunately, no cane was tried with the best 

 corn. I was satisfied that there was room for enough to have 

 grown to make up thirty tons. 



Xext to corn, all considered, I would place sorghum and 

 Hungarian grass, although, if I had the experience of others 

 with clover as ensilage, that might be preferred. Rye is 

 largely grown for the silo, and well liked by some. I have 

 examined pretty fair ensilage made from rye, but have never 

 been fortunate to so preserve this crop as to make what was 

 to me a satisfactory article of food. It yields far less ton- 

 nage to the acre, but is more substantial than corn ; an ani- 

 mal which will eat up thirty pounds of corn ensilage, clean, 

 will hardl}' dispose of twenty pounds made of rye. The 

 advantage of using rye for this purpose lies in the fact that 

 where land is scarce and high, and manure plenty, the fields 

 can be kept constantly at work. After a crop of ensilage 

 corn has been secured, rye can be sown, which will be ready 

 for the silo before it is time to plant corn again ; then another 

 crop of corn, to be followed with rye. This means much 

 manure ; but that is necessary for all these great crops of 

 green herbage, whether they are dried or pitted. Plants 



pretty light feeding, although bulky. Yet it is said this herd was milked all winter, 

 and exceeded in milk produced any other herd contributing to the neighboring 

 butter factory, and that the milk was regarded as excellent in quality. 



