at Home and Abroad. 139 
questions in the alphabetical order of the names of my corre- 
spondents, except in the two or three cases where the replies 
were received too late to be inserted in their proper places. 
Some readers may think that I have rather overwhelmed them 
with records of practice, but in a subject so new I felt that this 
was an error on the right side, and would at any rate screen 
me from any charge of bias or partiality. I have added descrip- 
tions and illustrations of two machines for cutting and elevating 
materials to be preserved in silos, one being English and the 
other French. 
I wish to thank all my correspondents for the trouble they 
have taken for the purpose of this Report, and also the many 
owners of silos who have received me, and sometimes large 
parties of agriculturists, on visits of inspection. On these 
occasions the most searching questions were readily answered, 
and the most ravenous appetites generously appeased ! 
I. — Silo without Roof. 
3Ir. G. Eoplcins, The Hayes, Cardiff. — My silo is 30 feet long, 15 feet 
wide, and 9 feet deep. It is two-thirds below the level of the soil, and one- 
third above it. The walls above ground are of 9-inch brickwork ; and the 
sides and bottom below the level of the land have a 25-inch brick casing 
cemented with waterproof Cardiff lime. The bulk of the material put in was 
chaffed grass, but after it had sunk below the level of the top, 4 loads of 
long grass were added, and in a few days afterwards 1 load of green comfrey 
and 5 cwts. of bran on the top. The whole was then battened down with 
boards cut to fit the inside of the silo. Excavated earth from the locality of 
the silo was then thrown on the boards, and this was the only covering. 
All this was done in July, 1883. I consider that the silo will last a lifetime. 
Its cost was Ibl. 
The grass had been cut for hay in the usual way, but as heavy rain came 
on, I decided to try ensilage. Three-fourths of it was chopped into half-inch 
lengths by a 5-horse-power engine in two days, and was mixed with half a ton 
of salt,* as I thought it would prevent combustion and fermentation. In the 
course of a week the mass shrunk to the extent of one-third, and the long 
grass and then the bran were added. The total weight of the material I 
estimate at 50 tons, the produce of 10 acres, and, weather permitting, would 
have made 12 tons of hay, valued at about 40/. It was compressed as the 
silo was filled by a horse walking round upon it. The cost of filling was as 
follows : — 
£ s. d. 
Steam-engine 2 days, with attendant 2 10 0 
2 men and 2 women for 2 days feeding, clearing away, and spreading 10 0 
5 cwts. bran spread over all 1 10 0 
Labour, placing boards on the bran 0 5 0 
Labour for covering with earth 0 7 0 
£5 12 0 
* Mr. Hopkins now considers this quantity of salt too great, and suggests that 
one-fifth, viz. 2 cwt., would be euiBcicnt. 
