ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 51 



university, and we drove the mower around and cut that, and drew it in, and 

 pitched it into the silo. We did not stop for dew or anything. A friend of 

 mine, who has done the same thing, opened his silo about two weeks ago, and 

 he says it is a magnificent feed. Now, if a farmer can utilize his work that 

 way, can tumble his stuff into the silo and put a few boards on top and leave it, 

 it is not such a great task as we used to think it must be; if ensilage has come 

 to that, I do not see why it has not come to stay. The silo must be strong 

 enough so as not to bulge with the weight. I should say that 2x8's, stood 

 up until you get something like 14 feet, would be plenty strong, boarded on the 

 inside with building paper and rough-boarded on the outside. 



Question. All above ground? 



Answer. Yes. 



Question. What is the quality of the butter made from this ensilage — is it 

 as good as from clover hay? is it as high flavor? 



Answer. Well, we have sent butter to Chicago made from both, and they 

 could not tell which was which . 



Question. What is the advantage of putting clover into a silo? 



Answer. Only this, that our second crop of grass comes at a time of year when 

 it is very difficult to cure. The ground is no longer hot, and the clover cures 

 very slowly. With a silo, a farmer can cut it and right away put it in, just as 

 he pleases; that is about all the advantage there is, but that is a very material 

 advantage. The feeding value is no greater. Now, there are a good many 

 of these questions that come up, which you farmers cannot answer. You have 

 not the time nor the conditions by which you can pursue investigations, and the 

 Commonwealth of Illinois should employ and pay men to pursue just such 

 investigations. While the States all about you are marching on, I think you 

 should fall in line with us. It is surprising the way the States are progressing; 

 I find that men are being educated all along the line. Why is it that young 

 men are not preparing themselves for this work? Last summer I stood in a 

 meeting of agricultural teachers at Ann Arbor. There was a professor from 

 Nebraska, one from Wisconsin, one from Michigan, two or three scientists from 

 New York, and so on. A man stood up there, and he said, "I wish to have a 

 young man come to our State and start an experimental station; can you tell me 

 of such a man?" and we honestly could not tell him of such a man. Why these 

 young men are not more of them qualified for such positions is something that 

 I cannot understand. 



Mr. Johnson: I understand that Professor Henry comes down from Madi- 

 son without any pay from this institution except his expenses. I move that a 

 hearty vote of thanks be tendered to the professor, and to the State of Wisconsin 

 for allowing him to come down. Motion seconded and carried unanimously. 



TILE DRAINING. 



R. M. PATRICK, MARENGO, ILL. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention: — I have been invited to 

 relate my experience in tile draining, and its effect upon lands drained. 



To some this subject will be dry and uninteresting, but to the owners and 

 cultivators of lands I hope to say something which will awaken in them an 

 interest in this important subject. 



