ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 15 
ows fed from it. He used it as feed for cows, horses, sheep, hogs, 
nd mules and they prefer it to the best of hay. Mr. Morris says his 
rop for 1877 was not so abundant to the acre as that of the preceding 
ear, owing to neglect and dry weather, but the quality was equally 
s good and that he fed with it over a thousand head of stock for two 
nonths. For the year 1878 he doubled the crop and built and filled a 
ery large silo out of doors, besides filling the three silos in the barn. 
>ince 1878 Mr. Morris has increased his silo capacity to 1,000 tons 
vhich shows conclusivly that he is well satisfied with ensilage as feed 
Or his stock. He speaks as follows—“I have a very large herd of 
tock dependent on the corn fodder for their winter feed and I feel 
onfident that they will furnish me with all the provender I require. 
In a long experience in raising stock I have found corn fodder 
preserved in silos the best feed for milking cows that I have ever 
.sed. It is equal, if not superior, to June grass, and its cultivation is 
o easy, its preservation so inexpensive, that to-day no one can esti- 
late its advantage to the agriculturist.” 
. Mr. Morris is still using it with success and is, year by year, 
aising the producti\*fe value of his lands by the application of the 
irge amount of manure made by this system ; can now get 40 bush¬ 
es of wheat to the acre from land that would formerly yield but ten 
ushels. 
It is a matter of interest to note that while Francis Morris, as a 
isciple of Goffart, was developing the system of ensilaging corn on 
is farm in Maryland, C. W. Mills, of Pompton, Passaic Co., New 
ersey, was working out the same idea, withotit having heard of 
lorris or Goffart. Mr. Mills is a grain merchant of New York, of 
igh standing, familiar with all kinds of wheat and corn, had been 
:ruck with the luxuriant character of some species of the Southern 
orn. He determined to experiment with it on his farm at Pompton. 
laving selected his seed he planted it among his ordinary New Jersey 
arn, alternating the rows of the kinds with the object of improving 
is Northern variety by hybridizing it with the Southern. When 
ieptember came his native corn was ripe, ears all formed but the 
outhern corn was still unripe. If the frost came it would be wasted, 
na what to do to save it for feed was the question, to be solved and 
r hich Mr. Mills at once set about trying to do. He remembered the 
Id method of keeping roots in mounds of earth, practiced from time 
nmemorial. Pits were dug in dry gravely soil; the tall corn was cut 
own and packed in board foundations in these pits. When filled a 
oard roof was placed upon the corn, and the whole covered with 
irth. 
When the time came to try this food on cattle it was found to be 
1 fair order. The stock ate of it greedily, but still the pi an was but 
artially succesful, owing to portions of it being mouldy, and as the 
its were disturbed, the process of decay went on rapidly. This ex- 
ariment was the key which seemed to unlock the great secret of pre- 
trving food in the silo. 
This was in the atumn of 1875. Nothing was done with it in 
376, but Mr. Mills set about thinking it all over and devised his pres¬ 
it system of preservation by the exclusion of the air by pressure 
