INTRODUCTION. Vll 



dered available throughout the hot weather months. In the United States, 

 the climate of the southern parts of which is somewhat similar to that of 

 Northern India, these winter grasses are very advantageously made use of. 

 In the introduction to my " List of the Grasses of North- Western India," 

 published in 1883, I remarked :— " Necessity in future years will no doubt 

 bring about a more careful consideration of what is now being adopted 

 with so much success in Europe and America, viz., the preservation of fod- 

 der by the process of ensilage. The art of preserving fodder is capable 

 of much development, and when brought more into practice, new pro- 

 cesses, will no doubt be discovered, which will render its application 

 more simple, and with certain modifications, more suitable for its adop- 

 tion in this country." "Within the last few years ensilage operations 

 have been extensively undertaken all over India, and with so much suc- 

 cess, that silage may now be considered as a safe and valuable form of food 

 for cattle. The last sentence of the above quotation reads almost like a 

 prophecy in the light of Mr. Arthur Kogers' happy idea of utilizing the 

 cotton presses of the country for compressing fodder. The many advant- 

 ages which this process possesses in the direction both of economy and 

 efficiency have been so recently made public, that it is needless to recapitu- 

 late them here. For military purposes, especially in war time, fodder 

 prepared in this way will no doubt be largely used in future ; and the diffi- 

 culties which have hitherto been experienced in procuring at certain sea- 

 sons of the year a sufficient quantity of cut grass for cavalry horses should 

 now be very considerably lessened. 



I have not alluded to the interesting experiments which, within the 

 last few years, have been undertaken with the object of utilizing the grass 

 of cantonment lands. Operations were first commenced in 1883 at Alla- 

 habad under the direction of the late General Sir Herbert Macpherson, 

 and, the results proving so satisfactory, the system was extended to Cawn- 

 pore. Sir H. Macpherson was assisted by Capt. G. Wingate, Assistant 

 Commissary General, who has submitted detailed reports of the operations 

 at both these military stations. Important and interesting results have 

 also been obtained by General Wilkinson at Calcutta, more especially 

 as regards the preservation of fodder. Capt. Wingate has again, I believe, 

 been placed on special duty in connection with Grass Farms, and reports 

 indicating further progress will no doubt be forthcoming. 



