No. 4. J DAIRYING. 53 



crop. Ensilage will do very well in place of green feeda, 

 and in many cases can be more economically provided. This 

 is the case when the land for green crops is at considerable 

 distance from the barn. 



I have had very little experience myself with ensilage, but 

 I can see no reason why a man would not be safe in putting 

 up double the amount he needs for winter, and use it in case 

 of a sunmier drought or short hay crop. If he does not 

 happen to need it, he can use it the next year. Of course 

 you understand me to say, "if properly put up, in a per- 

 fectly constructed silo." If farmers and dairymen would act 

 in that way, they would fortify themselves against such an 

 unfavorable season as we have had the past summer. Some 

 have said to me that it has been the worst year they have 

 ever experienced. If every farmer had carried over a silo 

 full of ensilage, it seems to me they would have been pre- 

 pared to meet this season. 



The Pastuke Problem. 



Much has been said and written about the decadence of 

 our hill pastures. It has been argued that the dairy cow has 

 robbed the pasture ; and that the farmer, instead of return- 

 ing the elements of fertility removed by the cow, has left the 

 pastures to run out and grow up to wild growth and wood. 

 If the pastures are stocked with a sufficient number of cows 

 to consume the luxuriant growth of June feed and keep all 

 parts of the pasture fed close throughout the season, and if 

 these cows are fed in the stable to make up for what the 

 pastures fail to provide in late summer and autumn, the cows 

 will leave as much fertilizing material on the pastures as 

 they remove in feed. The concentrated feeds recommended 

 to balance up the green feed and ensilage are rich in fertiliz- 

 ing elements. My own experience is that pastures treated 

 in this manner improve year by year. Only a small annual 

 outlay to prevent the brush from gaining possession and for 

 reasonable care of the pastures is necessary to insure as good 

 pastures as our fathers had in the early days. 



A few days ago I rode in sight of the old pasture where 

 my father used to pasture ten cows. When we had a dry 

 season they shrunk half the yield, and it affected the product 



