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richest. Another thing is, we may put fodder into the silo with 

 advantage after it has lost considerable moisture from milting, 

 and this again, as I have stated, is only an old European prac- 

 tice revived. It still has succulence enough to be completely 

 broken down. If 50 per cent, of the juices remain we have 

 succulence enough. If we even wait until the ear is nearly ripe 

 we lose no fair value in the stalk, unless, indeed, we cure the 

 fodder beyond that point where there is not sufficient moisture 

 remaining to re-establish the perfect succulence of the food. In 

 fact loads of green ensilage corn have been alternated with corn 

 shocked ten days, and the results were all that could be desired. 

 Another thing contended for, and which has a reasonable share 

 of correct practice is that a clay or loam bottom, moistened and 

 pounded solid, is better than a granite bottom. I well know 

 that such puddling will render a soil practically impervious. In 

 conclusion I make no excuse for the short excerpts I have made 

 from the Farm, Field and Stockman. They were written 

 originally by myself, or by our correspondents. As a last word 

 I quote a short excerpt from the Country Gentleman, written by 

 a Western Reserve, Ohio correspondent, who says: 



The silo itself has been greatly improved within the past two 

 years, or simplified. From the massive pit of masonry, it is now 

 found that it can be made of wood. The question now to 

 be decided is one of durability. The wooden silo has many 

 forms and systems — the one common to all being an inside lining 

 of two thicknesses of boards, with tarred paper between, to 

 make an air-tight wall. It was also found that such a wall was 

 about or more nearly frost proof than a stone wall, as wood and 

 tarred paper is not so perfect a conductor of frost as stone and 

 mortar, and that sawdust should be wholly discarded as a pack- 

 ing for walls. To preserve the wood of the interior from decay 

 by the action of the ensilage, various plans are adopted — paint- 

 ing the walls with heavy coatings of iron-clad paint, filling the 

 the boards with linseed and coal oil mixed, and lath and plaster- 

 ing — the last the most successful, and likely to be generally 

 adopted where wood is used. With some, it is thought that 



