No. 4.] FEEDING OF DAIRY COWS. 139 



dairy farming to such an extent that we cannot do without it 

 at all under the present keen competition. A while ago, 

 when the fierce competition did not touch us so keenly, we 

 could aflbrd to feed in a careless way ; but now, under the 

 stress of competitions from all quarters, we find the silo one 

 of our best economies. Ensilage has come to mean any 

 kind of fodder preserved in a succulent and cured condition 

 for feeding cattle. There is a good deal of confusion in the 

 minds of farmers as to the functions of a silo and the useful- 

 ness and value of ensilage. If a man puts a poor leg of 

 lamb into his pantry, he does not expect that the pantry will 

 improve the leg of laml), — not very much; but I have 

 known men who would })ut the poorest kind of weak, 

 watery fodder into a silo, and then marvel because the good 

 Lord did not regenerate it into strong, nourishing feed, 

 because it Avas put into a silo. A silo does not improve its 

 contents. It is not meant for that. It is only meant to 

 preserve what is put into it ; and if it does that, it fulfils 

 every function which pertains to it. I think a good many 

 things become more palatable by being put into a silo ; but 

 a silo cannot add any nutrients to the fodder. If a man will 

 grow corn broadcast, and get a great mass of watery, weak 

 feed, he will find the silo and such ensilage a very expensive 

 way of watering his cattle ; but if he puts into, the silo suit- 

 able materials which will resist fermentation, then he will 

 get ensilage of the best quality to feed to his cattle in the 

 best way. We do not find silo building expensive m our 

 country. The simple and essential requirements for a silo 

 are strength, closeness, cheapness and durability. It should 

 be sufficiently strong so the contents won't burst it. I 

 would use just one-ply of luml)er, put on horizontally in 

 such a way as to make interlocking corners. I did build 

 silos with four-ply of lumber and tar paper between them ; 

 and I could not keep the ensilage any better than with one- 

 ply of lumber, tongued and grooved or planed on the edges. 

 We use pine and sometimes hemlock, and in some places 

 spruce. One-ply of lumber lasts longer than two. There 

 is less decay. Many of our silos last five years and longer. 

 I examined one last year which had been built eight years, 

 and I could not find a decayed place in the lumber. When 



