118 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



more in it, that the fact that the ton must be brought 

 into condition to be assimilated by the animal is true, 

 and in that process one-half of it is consumed in get- 

 ting the other half ready to assimilate. With the 

 ensilage it is in the very best possible condition to be 

 assimilated into the system of the animal. Hence, if 

 there is just as much in the ensilage as in the corn fod- 

 der, no more in one than in the other, the ensilage is 

 by far of the greater value, for the reason that it is in 

 condition to be digested by the animal with the least 

 possible cost of energy. 



A Member: Then I apprehend that the*chief value 

 of ensilage is that it puts the food in condition that 

 the animal can use it and digest it to so much better 

 advantage than it can dry fodder, that there is the 

 great advantage in using it. 



Mr. Graham : That is one of the advantages, and 

 another very great advantage is the handiness, the 

 readiness with which you can feed a number of ani- 

 mals. We can feed thirty cows in thirty minutes, 

 with ensilage, and I would like to see the man that can 

 go out into the field, when his shock of corn is fro- 

 zen down, and cut enough shocked corn to feed thirty 

 cows in thirty minutes. 



A Member : But you don't take into account the 

 cost of putting it into the silo in the thirty minutes. 



Mr. Graham : We can put a great deal more than 

 that in in thirty minutes; we can put a ton in in just 

 twelve minutes. Of course we all know that there is a 

 great deal of waste, too, in your stack. 



A Member : How much do you feed to a cow to 

 make a good ration, and how much hay and grain do 

 you feed with it ? 



Mr. Graham: We feed two scoopfuls twice a day, 



