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ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 
grower, from one and all, this subject is demanding the closest investi¬ 
gation, for if the claims of its advocates can be substantiated, and the 
system proved practical for the masses, then, we as farmers can no 
longer afford to while away our time on the present system of milk 
and stock productions. The possession of the mighty dollar being the 
stimulating power, which causes us all to labor so incesantly, it be¬ 
hooves us, as a body, to enquire into our present system ot attaining 
that point, and ascertain if we are wisely devoting the means within 
our reach to the accomplishment of the desired end. Realizing as we 
did, that the net profit of our farm was not so good as we would wish, 
and not knowing/?^ how to increase its returns, we were in a good 
frame of mind to recieve the impression, which was given us, by a 
gentleman from the office of one of the papers devoted to agriculture 
in Chicago, who, meeting us with the fabulous report of results being 
reached in some parts of the eastern states at that time, 1879, through 
the medium of ensilage, at once “hit us hard in a weak -placed This 
man used his best efforts to induce us to make our arrangements and 
go a head and build a silo the coming spring. The story seemed too 
good to be true, and the idea of cutting up and packing away in a 
hole, green corn fodder, and expecting to see it come out in first class 
feeding condition in dead of winter, seemed to us (like some of our 
good friends the past season hereabouts) to be an impossibility, it would 
heat, ferment, rot, &c., &c. A great many objections arose in our minds, 
and we refused to comply with the gentleman’s request, at least until 
we knew more about it. We at once began watching the papers, 
and eagerly devoured every item relating to this, beginning to be inter¬ 
esting subject, and when we learned of the silo Messrs. Whitman & 
Burrell had constructed at Little Falls, N. Y., the writer at once de¬ 
termined to see that silo, and its “cow krout” as some are pleased to 
term this most excellent food. Accordingly, during the last days of 
Feb. 1880, the arrival of the investigating committee from Dundee, 
composed of the writer and his traveling bag, was duly announced. 
Not many hours thereafter the silo was reached, and the first move 
made, was to jump down into the capacious mouth of the same, bring¬ 
ing up on a section of ensilage which was being taken out to be fed to 
the stock. Before leaving Messrs Whitman & Burrell, the Dundee 
committee was fully satisfied that ensilage was a success, at least with 
those gentlemen. Their cheese, butter, and milk, all produced from 
ensilage, with no other feed, except a small amount of oil, and corn 
meal, were carefully examined and all were of the finest quality. The 
fact that there was nothing to fear in the way of producing poor 
goods from ensilage, was here proved to the entire satisfaction of the 
committee. Adjournment to Dundee thereupon took place at once, and 
very soon after report had been made, it was determined to go on and 
build a silo as nearly first class, as our means and the material at hand 
would permit. Accordingly on the 28th day of June, 1881, after stak¬ 
ing out our location 49x43 feet adjoining our barn at the north end, we 
be^an excavating, using two teams, with plow and scraper, and after 
nearly 3 weeks work we had the satisfaction of knowing, we were 
readv to begin the building of the walls. Concrete having been de- 
