82 H. E. STEVENS ON ENSILAGE. 



was then thrown on top, and it was allowed to stand for twenty-four 

 hours. At the expiration of that time it had settled down almost to 

 the surface. It was then heavily trampled, and more clay thrown on 

 the top and sides. In a day or so more the mass had settled down 

 well within the pit. The pit was closely watched for some time, and 

 all cracks covered up. It held thirteen thousand pounds of the green 

 corn. As its capacity was three hundred and twenty-four cubic feet, 

 the ensilage must have weighed about forty pounds to the cubic foot. 

 When opened on the 13th of December last, three months after it was 

 filled, the mass within was found to be sound and fresh, and but 

 slightl} 7 changed in appearance ; the edges and top alone, to the 

 depth of an inch or so, being somewhat damaged. 



One end onlj r of the pit was opened. The soil was taken off from 

 this end, and the ensilage removed by cutting a slice out vertically 

 downwards. An axe had to be used for this purpose, so great was 

 the compression of the mass. After a few hours' exposure to air, 

 alcoholic fermentation set in. This food was greatly relished by the 

 stock. The end of the pit was left uncovered, except that a little 

 straw was thrown on top of the opened section. The ensilage was 

 fed out during the months of December, January, and February, 

 remaining sound and unaltered to the last. The plan pursued the 

 present season differed somewhat from the one just described. Two 

 additional silos were prepared. No. 2 (last year's silo being called 

 No. 1) was made and filled in the following way : 



Like No. 1, it was simply a pit ten feet deep, ten feet wide, and 

 twenty feet long, dug in a dry and compact subsoil. The corn was 

 cut down (Aug. 4 and 5) with sickles, and immediately hauled to the 

 pits in carts, where it was dumped, after being weighed in an adjoin- 

 ing scales-room. It was then passed through a No. 11 Sinclair feed- 

 cutter driven by a one-horse railway (tread) power. This cutter 

 repeatedly sliced up a cartload weighing five hundred pounds, into 

 pieces one-half inch in length, in five minutes time. All the machine- 

 ry used was simple, and comparatively inexpensive, and such as 

 would be useful for many other farm purposes. The corn fell from 

 the cutter directly into the pit, where it was packed down by heavy 

 trampling. About thirty-five thousand pounds of corn were thus 

 packed away. 



The upper part of the pit was filled with thirty-three thousand 

 pounds of green clover treated in the same. way; this crop packing 

 more closely than corn, and hence promising a more perfect protec- 



