230 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



ensilage; and besides, it will furnish the more nitrogenous 

 addition to the ration which corn requires. If corn, 

 millet and clover are ready at the same time, they may be 

 all ensilaged together to the great advantage of the result- 

 ing preserved fodder. This combination would give a 

 complete ration for milk without the addition of grairi. 



When winter rye is ensilaged in June, it may most prof- 

 itably be mingled with the first cutting of clover. This 

 will furnish an admirable ration for milk through August 

 and September, when pasture is short. These different 

 crops may all be mixed in the cutter together without 

 requiring any extra labor, and all be delivered by the car- 

 rier in the silo together. This will give a variety in the 

 ration, and enable the thrifty dairyman to feed his stock 

 without purchased food. 



Summer soiling is likely, in the future, to be so closely 

 connected with the system of ensilage that the soiling 

 ration will come from the silo in summer as well as winter. 

 It will be found so much less labor to cut and store the 

 green food all at one time, instead of cutting one day's 

 feed at a time; and, besides, if cut and stored in silo, it can 

 til done when the crop is at its very best, instead of begin- 

 ning before it is quite ready and continuing to cut it some 

 time beyond its best condition. It will probably lessen the 

 labor of soiling 40 per cent. This will also increase the 

 yield of the crop, and in case of clover or other crop hav- 

 ing more than one cutting, give more time for the growth 

 of the second crop. 



But the ensilage system must be expanded beyond the 

 very narrow one of green-corn preservation, and include 

 every green-fodder crop this makes every complete farm 

 independent of the productions of every other farm in 

 carrying on its stock operations. It will often be profitable, 

 when short of ensilage crops, to make up the deficiency by 

 cutting and ensilaging the common meadow grasses when 

 in blossom. These will make the most nutritious ensilage. 



