216 
Report on the Practice of Ensilage, 
in use for five months, and it was perfectly good. Care must be taken, 
especially with regard to the grains, to leave no remnant or spoilt portion of 
the above in the bottom of the silo. The greatest care, in fact, must be 
observed in this particular. 
There are several reasons for the variations in the keeping qualities of 
pitted fodder ; firstly, the pressure is a great cause of long preservation, and 
should last all the time and up to the last moment ; then the greater or 
less outer humidity of the crops at the time of pitting. The pitted fodder 
when wetted becomes acid immediately, if it is not so already, and blackens 
on contact with the air. Finally, another case, rarer, and which only shows 
itself in the ensilage of rye, is the dry rot. When rye has^ been cut a little 
too late, the most energetic pressure is unable to crush the thousand little 
pipes formed in the stalks. On opening the silo the air penetrates the 
whole mass, which, not having had sufficient internal humidity to set up 
its fermentation, is sometimes even heated. The access of the air produces 
combustion, and there is nothing but a light, felt-like, whitish mass, full of 
funoi, and fit only to be thrown away. All pitted crops in full sap, 
without much external humidity, T will say even with as little humidity as 
possible, can be well preserved, and retain a good odour for several days after 
having been cut, even if the working face of the cut is left ex[X)sed for 
some time. 
I enclose a plan of my silos; their arrangement, mode of covering, and the 
pressure used. — September 22nd, 1883. 
Fig. 15.— Plan of M. Cottu's Silos. 
7 — ^ 
A 
Wi 
A 
Wi 
a 
A 
P 
A 
P 
r — V 
7" 
7 T 
> — < 
k 1 
i I 
X 
A. Posts supporting roof, 
c. Fixedj hooks to attach or hold the maize- 
cutter. 
D. Large planks covering the silo. 
E. Small planki) placed longitudinally and 
supporting the stone weights. 
r. Places for storing the stones when not in use. 
X. Position of stfaiu-englne wheu working the 
maize-cutter. 
V. Lines of railway leading to the cow- 
houses. 
z. Separating walls. 
Below, I beg to hand you an analysis of sainfoin, in which lucerne pre- 
dominated : — 
Water 
Ash 
Albuminous matters 
Fat 
Non-nitrogenous matters 
Cellulose 
74-49 
2-87 
4-57 
0-61 
11-39 
6 07 
T..(al 
100-00 
