506 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



neither too immature nor overripe, but when the green food contains 

 a maximum amount of sugar. The sweeter the green food the 

 better it will keep in silo, and the more nutritious and wholesome it 

 will turn out when ready to be consumed by cows or other live 

 stock. 



There can be no doubt thart both the rye and the maize ensilage 

 which you directed to be sent to me from Boston are good and 

 wholesome foods. I prefer the maize to the rye ensilage, and 

 consider ensilage specially useful to milch cows in winter. Decorti- 

 cated cotton cake and ensilage go well together and make rich milk. 



I may say in conclusion that I sent the ensilage not required for 

 analyses to our experimental station at Woburn, and my farm 

 manager reports to me that the cattle took to the ensilage at once 

 and apparently liked it much, and, as far as could be judged, did 

 well upon it. On the other hand, fattening pigs did not care for the 

 ensilage, and would not touch it at first. 



[Signed] AUGUSTUS VOELCKEK. 



Mr. Atkinson's suggestion that ensilage, packed in casks, 

 might furnish an excellent food for fat cattle in transit 

 to Europe, is a good one, but perhaps he overestimates 

 the comparative value, and we can well believe it to be 

 practical from experiments made by us more than 25 years 

 ago. We took a large linseed-oil cask and pressed green 

 clover into it in June, pressing in the head and sealing the 

 seams with white lead. This was kept for a year without 

 the appearance of fermentation, the blossoms looking bright 

 on opening. 



His suggestion of the use of ensilage in feeding sheep in 

 New England is in the same vein as ours on pages 435-37. 

 There is no doubt that ensilage will make the staple of 

 wool uniform throughout. See experiment with steamed 

 food, pages 456-7. 



Dr. Voelcker's analysis and report are interesting and 

 important, as showing that the acid in ensilage is princi- 

 pally lactic, which is supposed to be favorable to the pro- 

 duction of agreeabty-flavored milk. The Doctor gives a 



