22 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 
with 3 battons made from 2x4 scantling, projecting 6 inches each si 
of cover, that though these bearings all might settle together 
though but one entire cover, the lengths were cut short enough 
rest directly upon the ensilage with play of ends sufficient to permit 
settling and not binding on the walls. " When put in place, a wei< 
of one hundred and fifty pounds stone, per square foot was placed 1 
on it, and we had nothing to do but await the proper time for op 
ing. In the mean time many discouragements had to be met 
seemed as if the community at large had constituted themselve: 
committee to throw cold water upon our efforts, by speaking ; 
looking their disbelief in the success of our efforts, it was too prep 
terous, cutting and piling up a huge pile of green corn, nonsense, ; 
nothing but failure could come of it. This seemed to be the opin 
of many, while a scattering few offered encouragement through tl 
“I hope you will come out all right and if you do, and it proves pra 
cal, and you say, I shall go into it.” Still another was met who wisl 
it might be a failure, for to succeed would be to place the power 
greater, and largely increased production of milk in the hands of 
and the then present, what was called low price of milk be driven 
a result still low er, and of all the interested parties hereabouts, not < 
could be found who would say they believed we should accomp] 
our end. One good meaning friend asked but a few days previous 
the opening of our silo, “what are you going to do for feed for all t 
stock on your farm.” You have nothing to count on but your a 
stocks and hay, and that is not sufficient, that pile of ensilage \ 
make you a big pile of manure to be sure, but will not be of a 
good as feed, it will be all rotten. All this experience did not sha 
us in the least, from our opinion of coming success, and feeling th 
we could well afford to bear the adverse criticisms of our well me; 
ing friends and neighbors, and when the continuous rains of the p 
fall set in, and nearly, if not quite ruined a large per cent of the C( 
fodder standing in shocks in the fields, we could not quite help exi 
ing just a little, over the fact of our safely stowed away ensila: 
Something like 225 tons being well housed and secure from all dama 
by rain, be it much or little; this being the first point proved to us, 
favor of ensilage over out door fodder. 
Let us here turn back to our subject proper, assuming the tii 
taken since we left our silo covered and weighted, to carry us to 1 
time of opening, when we were to ascertain whether or not our inve 
ment was to prove a failure, and our cherished hopes blighted. T 
long continued rains and unfavorable weather had caused a hea 
falling off in the yield of milk from our dairy, when on the 2nd day 
ftov. we concluded to remove a section or two of cover and see wl 
we should see. The stones were removed, and the covers lifted, a 
the ensilage revealed. It had changed in color from the bright grt 
put away, taking a more brownish cast, and emitting a pleasant a< 
smell. The juices seeming to be as when put away in quantity, 1 
slightly impregnated with acid. The ensilage taken into the moi 
and chewed, left a very pleasant acid taste, the fodder had kept p 
fectly, (as compared with the only sample the writer has ever se< 
clear up to the cover and out to the sides, excepting a small quant 
