7he Silo and Silage-stack Competition, 1885-86. 299 
This concluded our inspection of the Northern Division, 
and we are of opinion that the great question of satisfactorily 
ensiling green crops has received ample confirmation. It has 
been proved to us, incontestably, that its success has been 
manifested in every district. We have seen silos of brick, of 
stone, and of wood ; we have seen old barns and other buildings 
converted into silos ; we have seen them sunk into the ground, 
and built on the level ; we have seen them containing 20 tons, 
and we have inspected others capable of containing 700 tons ; we 
have found silos constructed at a little over 20/., and others at 
400/. ; we have found them filled with all sorts of green crops, 
and we have found some sour and some sweet — the latter in by far 
the greater proportion ; we have seen them weighted with 
bricks, with stone, with slates, with sand, with earth, and also 
with ingenious mechanical contrivances ; we have inspected 
some chaffed, and in others the fodder spread out and put in 
whole ; in all cases the practice was successful, and in every 
instance cattle of all descriptions did well on the silage, and in 
many instances the opinion was conclusive that decidedly more 
stock could be carried per acre with silage than with hay. In 
one case, Mr. Trepplin had ensiled 900 acres this year, and would 
make between 4000 and 5000 tons of silage, and should give 
it to 400 cows, 300 of which are constantly in-milk. But if 
we say this of the silos, what shall we say of the stacks ? Here 
we find that the practice of ensiling green crops at a very small 
expense is satisfactorily established, and the system may be 
carried out at a small outlay, say 12/. to 15/. for a stack con- 
sisting of from 40 to 100 tons. The system of pressure is 
simple and very effective, and although both to silos and 
stacks the Judges have awarded certain prizes, yet there are 
many others of considerable excellence, and nearly all have 
something to commend them to notice ; we think that both silos 
and apparatus for stacks are desirable, and that both can be used 
with advantage. In conclusion, we would say that we consider 
the practice of ensiling will probably affect the future of agri- 
culture on strong land, as in most instances, especially in such 
where it is necessary to obtain winter fodder for the stock, a 
crop of winter-grown tares or trifolium, or other strong growing 
green crops, may be sown in the autumn at little expense, and 
mown and put into the receptacle by the first week in June, and 
thus do away with the immense expense and great uncertainty 
of the cultivation and consumption of roots on such land. We 
think the silos of Sir John Astley, of Elsham Hall ; Mr. Col- 
lingwood, of Ushaw College ; and Mr. Earle's, of Roby ; are 
Avorthy of special notice by us. The former, as a good illustra- 
tion of a portion of barn converted into two excellent silos ; 
