500 Report on the Experiments on Ensilage conducted at 
silage. The experience of the previous year showed the un- 
desirability of having the doorways of the silos boarded, so they 
had in the interval been bricked up to a considerable height, 
and carefully cemented on the inside. There was therefore no 
escape for any water or liquid that might be pressed out. The 
grass for the two silos was taken out of the same field, and 
simultaneously a third portion was made into hay ; only as. 
much grass as was required each time for carting was cut. 
The grass was first cut on July 4, and on that day, 12 loads, 
weighing in all 10 tons 16 cwt. 3 qrs. 12 lbs., were put into 
Silo 4, while one load weighing 14 cwt. 2 qrs. 24 lbs., was 
put into Silo 1, and 6 loads, weighing 7 tons 6 cwt. 1 qr. 12 lbs., 
were carted into an adjoining meadow and made into hay. This 
latter was stacked on July G. when it weighed 2 tons 11 cwt. 
0 qrs. 21 lbs. Samples of each load were taken by myself as 
the silos were being filled, and were preserved for analysis. 
Silo 4 was weighted at the end of the day and left to settle. 
The single load in Silo 1 was only pressed slightly at the sides, 
and not at all in the centre, and was left unweighted. 
On July 7, another load and a half, weighing 35 cwt. 2 qrs. 
2 lbs. was added to Silo 1. On July 10, Silo 4 was reopened, 
and 4 loads more, weighing 4 tons 6 cwt. 1 qr. 4 lbs. were 
added, the whole being then again weighted with stones in 
boxes resting on boards, giving a pressure of 112 lbs. to the 
square foot. The total weight of grass in Silo 4 was thus 
15 tons 3 cwt. 0 qrs. 16 lbs. On the same day another load of 
22 cwt. 3 qrs. 19 lbs. was added to Silo 1, making a total of 
3 tons 13 cwt. 0 qrs. 13 lbs. On July 16, six days later, 
the grass was weighted in the same way as in the case of 
Silo 4. 
Both silos were opened on December 18, and the haystack 
was also cut, the feeding experiments beginning on that day. 
The bullocks selected were 16 very nice 3-year-old Herefords, 
purchased at Northampton at 16Z. 175. Grf. per head, all coming 
from one herd. These had for a fortnight previously been 
feeding on 3 lbs. decorticated cotton-cake, 5 lbs. maize, 8 lbs. 
wheat-straw chaff, and 45 lbs. sliced swedes, per head daily. 
It had been suggested that 2-year-old animals were not so 
suitable for silage feeding experiments as older ones ; there was 
an additional advantage in having Hereford cattle, as these in 
all our experiments at Woburn have proved much quieter and 
more kindly feeding and regular animals than Shorthorns. 
The experience of the previous year had taught me to observe 
several points to which attention was now given. In the first 
place, as mentioned already, I determined to use better grass, and 
hoped to make better silage ; secondly, the exclusion of air, as 
