56 H. R. STEVENS ON ENSILAGE. 



plenty, whole cost of mine was about a hundred dollars. I would 

 not recommend plank ; for I find, where the plank comes in contact 

 with the ensilage, it is decomposed three inches. I opened my silo 

 6th of last November, and found the preservation perfect. All the 

 stock took hold of it at once as if they were hungry ; and horse, cows, 

 yearling calves, and shotes have eaten since with increased relish. 



I saw to-day the calves picking the bits of ensilage up, instead of 

 meal fed with it. Not having enough ensilage to winter all my stock, 

 I have, since the first month, fed corn-meal and bran : mixed seventy 

 pounds per day to the twenty-seven head, thirteen cows, eight year- 

 lings, six calves, five shotes, and one horse. When fed alone I gave 

 forty to sixty pounds to cows, and in proportion to young cattle, one 

 bushel to the swine, with one-tenth corn-meal and bran, and increased 

 quantity of grain until I now feed to the whole stock, including horse, 

 two hundred and fifty pounds ensilage, a hundred and fifty pounds 

 corn meal and bran, a hundred and thirty pounds of hay cut fine, 

 same as I cut the ensilage, the whole mixed up in a mess for the 

 twenty-four hours, at night ; and all the cattle are in extra good 

 order. This has been remarked by the many, at least a hundred, 

 that have been to visit the silo this winter, I being pioneer in the new 

 departure in these parts. Before I forget it I wish to say that cutting 

 my hay fine has reduced the quantity of both it and ensilage one-half. 

 I learned this from reading an article in " The Country Gentleman," 

 where a farmer had cut hay for twenty-five years with same result ; 

 and the advanced thinkers amongst those who have been here con- 

 sider this cutting hay and straw, and mixing all together, a very im- 

 portant matter. 



The long time that I have fed in this way satisfies me that it is an 

 excellent plan to feed ensilage. I am still milking seven of the cows, 

 and they give more than they did on the 6th of November, when I 

 commenced feeding ensilage ; milk and cream looks like it did in 

 June, as does the butter. I use the language of a leading farmer, a 

 few days since, when examining the butter : it goes to a grocer who 

 supplies the officers of the Boston Navy-yard. It netted us thirty- 

 three and one-third cents per pound, when other best winter butter 

 was selling for twenty-two to twenty-six. 



I wish also to state that as soon as I commenced feeding ensilage 

 the cows doubled their milk. Please bear in mind that I had fed 

 green fodder night and morning, from middle of July, and after Sep- 

 tember two quarts of meal and bran, the pastures being dry. Of 



