172 
Report on the Practice of Ensilage, 
ITie men Avere engaged for tliree hours on the 15th, and hours on the 
18th, at Zd. per hour. Three horses and carts were emplo3'ed. It took 
6J acres of the grass to fill the silo, and the grass ■\veighod 15 tons 5 cwt., 
2 lbs. of salt being added to each cwt. of grass. 
The following was the cost of filling the silo : — £ s. d. 
June 14th, 1883, mowing 63 acres of grass with machine,] 
including beer for men, but exclusive of horses. Is. 8f/. > 0 10 10 
per acre ) 
Baking three rows into one, putting into small cocks fori 
carting, and breaking salt, including beer fur men, i 0 15 85 
2s. 5fZ. per acre J 
June 15th, 23 men, three hours each, at 3f/. per hour, j 
carting, cutting chaff, and pitting, including beer (but[ 10 2 
exclusive of horses) j 
June 18th, 23 men, 45 hours, at 2,d. per hour, ditto .. 1 10 8 
Paid for steam-engine and chaff-cutter, Ti hours, at 3s.) , n n 
per hour j 
Five cwt. of coal 0 4 4J 
Five and a half cwt. of salt 060 
£5 10 3 
Average per acre, 17s. 
The top of the grass in the silo is covered with thick wooden doors, on the top 
of which is placed 1 ton 3 cwt. of old iron gas-pipes, and twenty American flour- 
tubs filled with the same description of chaff as in the silo, each tub weighing 
85 lbs. The doors weigh about 2 cwt., thus making a total weight of 2 tons. 
My object in using the flour-tubs was to ascertain if the grass would keep 
good in them ; because, if so, the weights to be placed on the silo will 
not only be casil}- obtained, but at the same time will be serviceable and 
cheap. Following is an account of the cost of the covering and weights on 
the top of the grass in silo, viz. : — £ $ d 
Doors 0 15 0 
Twenty tubs, at Is. ^-Z 1 G 8 
1 ton 3 cwt. of iron 2 6 0 
£4 7 8 
The above, to be repaid within five years by equal annual payments of 
principal and interest at 5 per cent., would incur an annual payment of 1/. 
I placed a thermometer on the top of the boards under the iron roof and 
examined it daily, and at the same time ascertained the sinking of the grass. 
Thrrmoueteb. SiKKncc. 
June 19 
64 .. 
None. 
„ 20 .. 
60 .. 
A little in centre. 
„ 21 .. 
62 .. 
3 inches in centre. 
„ 22 .. 
72 .. 
Do, do. 
„ 23 .. 
72 .. 
1 inch in centre. 
„ 24 .. 
74 .. 
1 inch in centre and 1 inch outsidcs. 
„ 25 .. 
74 .. 
1 inch in centre. 
„ 26 .. 
72 .. 
Do. do. 
„ 27 .. 
68 .. 
None. 
„ 28 .. 
69 .. 
None. 
., 29 .. 
70 .. 
1 inch in centre and 1 inch outsidcs. 
„ 30 .. 
69 .. 
None. 
Toial, 11 inclie 
s in centi 
V, and 2 inches on the outsidcs. 
The remainder of the grass w.is made into hay, namely, 23i acres. 
