134 
Report on the Practice of Ensilage, 
" This metliod of salting and preserving green crops in their moist state 
appears to afford an answer to the first question which is naturally asked 
when we are told of the difference in feeding-value between the same grass 
when first cut and when dried into hay. It is probable that the fermentation 
which takes place in the pit may in some degree diminish the nutritive value 
of the grass, but the likelihood which exists that a very large proportion of 
this value will be retained renders the method of salting in this manner well 
worthy the attention of our more skilful agriculturists. It would greatly 
benefit both theory and practice also were careful series of experiments to be 
made in different localities, with the view of determining the true relative 
value in feeding of stock of the grass of the same field when newly cut and 
when salted and presei-ved in the manner above described." 
I should add that a much longer extract from Mr. John- 
ston's paper appeared in the ' Farmer's Gazette ' (Dublin) for 
January 26th, 1884. Professor Wrightson also gave a brief 
notice of the manner in which sour grass has for generations 
been preserved in Hungary, in his ' Report on the Agriculture 
of the Austro-Hungarian Empire,' published in this ' Journal ' in 
1874 (p. 351) ; but it attracted very little attention at the time. 
However, in course of conversation last January with the 
Chairman of the Journal Committee (Earl Cathcart), at his 
place near Thirsk, his Lordship informed me that he possessed 
a " silo " several years old, and would have it found and 
opened, and send me what information he could about it, 
including an extract from the farm-bailiff's diary. The latter I 
give verbatim et literatim : — 
Extract from Farm Diary. 
" 5 July, 1875. All hands at Carr Field Hay — Put it into 
' Cile: 
12 ,, Cart leading Grass from Coach Road to make 
^ picheled^ Hay. 
13 J, „ Finished leading Grass to make it into 
' pickeled ' Hay." 
The agent of the estate (Mr. Mills) states that he recollects 
the silo being prepared, and heard the conversation on the 
subject ; and Lord Cathcart adds, " The silage * was good, and 
will compare with that I have recently seen, except that it was 
more moist. I handled the stuff during the winter of 1875 
or '76. The silo was dug out of lightish land, and the men 
say drained ; anyway, there was a ditch near." The following 
further communications give the result of his reopening the silo 
in January this year: — "Some silage of 1875 found, sample 
kept, just left a pony eating some of it ; black, gone, and wet. 
* It will be observed that I have made my correspondents use my terms 
throughout this Report. 
