204 
Report on the Practice of Ensilage, 
" My press can be applied in 15 or 20 minutes, whereas it is obvious that 
the putting on of dead-weight must occupy a very considerable time, but 
there is a further advantage of great moment. In filling a silo, after say 
4 or 5 feet of grass has been put in, the press can be applied, the air 
expelled, and the contents reduced at once, which enables the filling process to 
be immediately proceeded with, without waiting for the gradual settling of 
the fodder. 
Fig. 11. — End Elevation of Wooden Silo, showing Doors. 
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" Since my interview with you I have thought over the matter of the 
action of the sun upon a wooden silo, which might have caused the joints to 
open, and the remedy I shall adopt is this : — Instead of having li-inch boards 
to line the silo, I shall adopt a double lining, one of 1-inch floor-boards, and 
the other offs-inch ditto, with joints crossing or overlapping each other , 
and waterproof paper inserted between. _ — . 
" I may say that I supplied to a gentleman near here, a silo 15 feet long 
and 10 feet wide and 10 feet deep, with roof attached, and it stands in his 
rickyard along with other stacks, and although not yet opened, there is no 
fear of the result." — January 2Sth, 1884. 
On March 4th ]Mr. Stocks further wrote as follows : — 
" In August last I erected my first wood silo (6 feet x 6 feet x feet), and 
on the 22nd of that month it was filled with 3 tons 9 cwt. 2 qrs. of oats and 
clover, cut quite green, to which I added as an experiment 10 per cent, of 
bran (780 lbs.) and 140 lbs. of salt, which were thoroughly mixed with the 
chaffed fodder, my object being that the bran should absorb the juices of the 
fodder, which it has done thoroughly. 
" The silo was filled to the brim, the cover put on, and the screw-press applied, 
which reduced the bulk some 8 or 9 inches at once, and since then it has only 
settled 4 inches further. The lever has only required to be applied twice 
since the first application, and that within the first week, and the time 
occupied on each occasion was not quite 10 minutes. 
" On Friday last the silo was opened, and there is not the slightest mould or 
waste, the silage being quite good up to the covering boards, and the flavour 
beautiful, — the best I have seen yet. I sent you &imple of it by Parcels Post 
last night, and shall be glad to have your opinion of it." 
Not having seen any of these silos, but only the samples sent 
