CORRESPONDENCE OF F. S. PEER. 101 



bushels were spoiled. We began forthwith to feed ensilage to all my 

 stock, sheep, colts, calves, and milch-cows, at the rate of fifty 

 bushels per day. 



Having no personal knowledge of the chemical analysis of ensi- 

 lage, I do not propose to enter upon a hair-splitting discussion of its 

 value as compared with other feed. The question that every practi- 

 cal farmer wants to know is, "What is the result?" I will state 

 as briefly as possible what I have found to be its influence as a feed 

 for milch-cows, upon the quantity, qualit} r , and color of butter. 



Before opening the silo, we fed corn-stalks, having no hay, morn- 

 ing and night, wheat-straw at noon. As may be supposed, the but- 

 ter was white, lacked flavor, and the grain more inclined to be salvy : 

 it was poor stuff. After a few da}'s we added two quarts of meal, 

 with roots (yellow cord beets) at noon. The quantity of milk was 

 somewhat increased, but not as much as I expected it would be. On 

 opening the silo, Nov. 12, we began feeding ensilage twice a da}', 

 morning and night. The fourth day the quantity of milk was nearly 

 double : as to the butter, it was nearly equal in flavor and color to 

 that made in summer from grass. We send it to our regular custom- 

 ers without a particle of coloring. We continued feeding in this way 

 for five or six weeks with the same pleasing results. When, in order 

 to dispose of our coarse fodder, we substituted corn-stalks and bar- 

 ley-straw for the morning feeding of ensilage, the change in the 

 amount of milk and butter was very marked, shrinking about quarter: 

 the color was considerable lighter. Hoping to make up for this 

 deficiency, we added two quarts of corn-meal per head to the ration 

 of dry fodder ; but it did not fully compensate for the feeding of 

 ensilage in the quality and color of the butter, while the amount was 

 increased to about the same as from the two feedings of ensilage. 



We have now been feeding ensilage for three months to milch cows, 

 colts, young cattle, and sheep, at the rate of forty bushels per day. 

 The one hundred and sixty tons is about half gone, requiring less 

 than three acres to keep eighty head, fifty-five of which are long-wool 

 sheep ; total, equivalent to thirty-five head of cattle. 



The following is the table of cost of five and one-half acres of 

 ensilage fodder or one hundred and sixty tons : 



