Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-08-23
AGRICULTURAL.
prorrrs. Of ,he En.iInrc -y-tem.

N-Fokffes OF Tue HlhHtlukf FlHNfms
The French agriculturist NJ Auguste
GofIart, is generally credited with being
the originator Of the new system Of pre-
serving green fodder as ensilage, but smi-
lar methods had doubtless been in use in
France and in other countries before Gof-
fart's successful experiments in preserving
green crops by the ensilage process were
undertaken Yet to his improvements in
the process and the publication Of his book
on ensilage may he traced the practical be
ginning of the system Goffart began his
experiments in preserving green crops by
this method about forty years ago.
The first successful use Of the silo in this
country is claimed TO have been made by
Dr. J. NJ. Bailey of Bilerica, Mass, in 1879
Dr. Bailey, as is well known, wrote aud
published a book explaining the new system
and making what were considered such ex
travagant claims in its behalf, coupled with
interested statements about his stock breed
ing business, that for "a time both himself
and his silo were the subjects Of severe
criticism and even ridicule For these rea-
sons Mr. Bailey has never been fully recog-
nized as the pioneer Of the silo in America,
though he appears to have been the first in
this country to make a conspicuous success
of it and chiefly instrumental in bringing
it first to public notice.
Since the publication of DIR. Bailey's book,
nine years ago, there has been enough writ
ten about ensilage to make more than
L.. l., al
ture-if we may use that word for it
seems to be on the increase. Other ens-
lage books have been published, and thous-
ands of newspaper articles have been writ
ten about it. large ma jority of the writers
favoring the silo. 1t is now quite evident
that what was said by the advocates of en-
silage when few had built silos as an ex
pertinent is true-namely, that the silo has
come to stay. With very few exceptions,
those who have used eislage agree in rec
ommeuding the silo, though a few cases have
been known in which its use has been aban-
doned after a trial On the whole, it must
he said that ensilage has been gaining in
repute since the time of its first trial in
this country. The gain in the number of
silos was at first slow but steady progress
toward the general use of enslage on large
farms has been made Many thousand 81
los are now in use, and thousands are add
ed to the number every year. The fact
that more stock may be kept, and, as
consequence, the fertility of the soil in
creased, 10y the use of ensilaged corn seems
to he pretty well established The only
question is whether it is enough to pay for
the extra expense and labor
Distinguished agricultural chemists have
doubted the utility of the silo because they
say, nothing of nutritious value is lost by
drying, and great additional weight must
be handled by storing and feeding the crop
with all its water, the cost of which must
be added to the cost of the silo, machinery
for cutting, etc. But to this it may be re
piled that it is impracticable if not impossi-
BILE to dry heavy crop of ensilage fodder
corn; and if it could be dried, nothing but
the leaves would be eaten by cattle To
preserve it as ensilage is the only way to
utilize the whole crop. 1t is also claimed
that in the form of ensilage it is more di-
gestibe, that cattle thrive better upon it,
and that it is a valuable winter food for
mich cows, being a substitute for the green
forage of summer and increasing the flow
Of milk
We give in another place several items of
interest relating to ensilage, gathered from
various expert sources.