159 



quality, and that the best mutton and wool in any country 

 is produced in Scotland from herds of sheep that never 

 taste of a mouthful of food in winter except turnips and 

 straw. We are informed, by good authority, that cabbages 

 or potatoes are incapable of sustaining animal life, when 

 fed alone, but we know that the strongest and healthiest 

 race of men and women is the one that finds its chief diet 

 in cabbage and potatoes. The mistake of the chemist is 

 found in the fact that he claims all liquid as water when 

 the facts are quite different. The liquid /)f turnips, of 

 potatoes, of corn, of cabbage, of apples, and of grapes, are 

 entirely different each from the other, and neither of them 

 is pure and simple water, and either of them standing alone 

 may not be able to sustain animal life, but when used in 

 combination with each other may produce the best possible 

 results. Of this there can be no doubt. If this is true, 

 then in order to estimate the value of any crop as food for 

 cattle, we must observe the above mentioned conditions. 



First — The crop best adapted to the land, its location 

 and value. 



Second — The condition of the animals to be fed. 



Third — The results to be obtained. 



Fourth — Whatever the crop fed, it should be well matured. 



Fifth — It should be used in such combination as to con- 

 stitute it the most natural food for the animal fed. 



I have been greatly interested in the experiments made 

 at the New Hampshire Experiment Station, under the 

 direction of Prof. Whitcher, as to the comparative value of 

 corn ensilage with dry fodder, and I take the liberty to quote 

 a few statements made in Bulletin No. 14. Prof. Whitcher 

 says, " First, more actual food material can be produced 

 from an acre of corn, than from any other of our common 

 farm crops. Land capable of producing two tons of hay, 

 will, as a rule, produce twenty tons of ensilage, having at 

 least twenty-five per cent, of dry substance or actual food 

 material. 



40,000 lbs. of ensilage equals 10,000 lbs. of dry matter and 

 4,000 lbs. of hay equals 3,000 lbs. of dry matter. It is safe 



