128 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



They grow right along because there is no big jump from grass 

 onto dry feed; it is merely a continuation. And the same is 

 applicable to cows. Those that are not great producers, if they 

 eat much of it, will get fat." 



Mr. C. A. Wulff: " As regards ensilage I will only tell how 

 I have found silos in Holstein, Europe. This county, in the 

 north part of Germany, is noted for its very fine Angeln cows 

 whose delicate qualities make them compare with the Ayrshires. 

 The breeders of that stock who are organized in a very solid 

 association all over the county, and all work together, use all 

 their clover as ensilage. The silos are generally built with 

 brick, and in connection with the barn, from which doors lead 

 directly into the silo, divided in two or three parts. The clover 

 is filled in the silos from the upper floor of the barn that is 

 aimed for keeping of straw, and into which the straw, as well 

 as the new mowed clover, is brought on the cart by a slanting 

 driveway. When the silos are filled the clover is covered with 

 three rows of bricks, that follow equally all the settling of the 

 ensilage. When the ensilage is going to be used they open one 

 of the doors into the silo from the barn and cut the clover with 

 an instrument like an old fashioned straight hand-root cutter. 

 They always cut the ensilage perpendicularly and remove the 

 bricks on the top only as much as needed. I found the ensilage 

 during my visit there in the month of July, two years ago, 

 a very sweet, soft and odorous food that the cows liked very 

 much. I will say that people there generally feed their cows 

 in the barn the whole year except one month in the high sum- 

 mer divided in parts of a fortnight each. As regards the ensi- 

 lage question in the United States I think that is a very import- 

 ant one, and I believe much in trying that way to make the 

 winter food equal with the summer food just as we in Europe 

 try to reach that important object by raising turnips, carrots 

 and mangles, not having the valuable corn. For feeding pur- 

 pose I think corn ensilage is much to be recommended and for 

 dairying I believe that a possible "ensilage taste" in the butter 

 can be avoided by ripening the cream a little more than usual." 



