ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 115 



It is not an unusual thing to see butter carry off the first prize 

 made from ensilage fed cows. 



Fifth — The Work Mast be Done in a Hurry When Helf is 

 Scarce. There is a misapprehension in this, as putting up ensi- 

 lage in a day is not necessary, but rather a detriment to the 

 success of the process. Recent experiments have revealed the 

 fact that silo may be days, and even weeks in filling, and still 

 contain the best of ensilage. While the silo is open it should be 

 trampled every day, or better still, fill in a foot or two of feed. 



We now come to a part in the discussion that is of interest 

 to every dairyman and stockgrower, namely: The cost and 

 result of feeding ensilage, as compared with other kinds of feed. 

 For this purpose we ha\e taken (Jan., 1885,) twelve patrons of 

 the Godfrey creamery, who feed and care for their cows well; 

 one-third being fresh in milk, while ours are old in milk but 

 one. 



Now compare cost and results. These patrons feed 

 hay at $7.00 per ton; clover at $5.00 per ton; sheaf oats at 20 

 cents per dozen bundles; corn-fodder at 12^ cents per shock; 

 corn at 35 cents per bushel; wheat screenings at 15 cents per 

 bushel, and bran at 11 cents per bushel, making a daily cost of 

 9 cents per cow. This, you will observe, is very cheap feeding; 

 cheaper in fact than we have ever known it to be at this time of 

 the year. Our cows were fed ensilage at $1.60 per ton; clover 

 hay, corn-fodder and bran at a daily cost of 7 cents per cow ; a 

 gain of 2 cents in favor of ensilage. Now for the result: The 

 60 cows fed on dry feed produce 30 gauges of cream per day 

 at a cost of 18 cents per gauge for feed; the 6 cows fed on ensi- 

 lage produce 5 1-10 gauges of cream at a cost of 8^ cents per 

 gauge for feed, a gain of 9^ cents per gauge in favor of the 

 new system. These figures were not taken from one day, but 

 include the whole of the month of January, and should they be 

 taken next January the gain would be nearly double in favor of 

 ensilage, for dry feed is just twice as high now as it was then. 



December 31 we weighed our milk and had 93 pounds; 

 January 31, 92 pounds; February 28, 795^ pounds; not be- 



