82 H. R. STEVENS ON ENSILAGE. 



weighed, I calculated we had twenty-five tons per acre. I fed a 

 part of this, cut up green, to my cows, the balance for my silo. I 

 planted a small piece on lower ground, where the yield was at the 

 rate of fifty tons to the acre. The stalks averaged twelve feet in 

 height. 



I built my silo in the basement of my barn, sixteen feet long, 

 twelve feet wide, twelve feet deep. As it was an experiment with 

 me, I made the size of silo to conform to the location. The walls 

 were made of brick, one foot thick, well laid in cement, with door 

 placed near the top, six feet deep, three feet wide, facing in towards 

 the tie-up for the cows. I made, besides this, a smaller silo one-half 

 the capacity, to test the keeping of ensilage in small quantities ; but, 

 before I had the larger one entirely filled, I saw I should have but 

 little left to fill the small one. I would say to the farmer, the first 

 time you fill a silo you will wonder, and say, " I don't see where so 

 much of it is packed away," if your silo is large or small. I then 

 purchased a one-horse railway power, and a Baldwin fodder-cutter. 

 My barn is located on a south-east slope side-hill, giving me a twelve- 

 foot basement, entrance on south side, the main entrance to the first 

 floor, north-west side ; here I placed my horse-power and cutting- 

 machine, and made a good-sized trap-door through the floor. The 

 corn, when cut, dropped through the trap-door into the silo. 



I shall mention in another part of this book in regard to power to 

 be used. 



As a great number of persons wished me to let them know when 

 the silo was to be filled, I notified several of our Boston dailies, and 

 the following appeared: u Dr. H. R. Stevens, of Echo Dale Farm, 

 Dover, Mass., will be ensilaging corn every day this week ; and an 

 invitation is given to all persons interested wishing to witness the 

 operation. Trains leave Boston and Albany Depot, 8 A.M., 12.15 

 P.M. ; return, 1.30, 4.30 P.M. ;" and, from the great numbers who 

 came, I was surprised to see so much interest taken in this enter- 

 prise. For my railway horse-power, I built a platform of two-inch 

 plank, nailed strips of inch boards about four inches wide across the 

 plank, made the platform two feet wider at the bearing on the ground 

 than the top part. In doing so you make every thing safe in getting 

 in and out your horse. After you have once tried it, you will see the 

 importance of it. I used a horse that -had formerly been a very 

 valuable carriage-horse : although now sixteen years old, he has as 

 much life as any horse six years old. This horse-power was new 



