Poetry · Chapter
Ensilage explained
The poem extols the virtues of planting sweet southern corn for ensilage, emphasizing its benefits for dairy farming and the happiness of cows grazing on clover.
What happens
The poem extols the virtues of planting sweet southern corn for ensilage, emphasizing its benefits for dairy farming and the happiness of cows grazing on clover.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the boy’s childish joy and naive belief that he can see Ameri…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Agriculture and Rural Economy
The poem focuses on the practical benefits of ensilage for dairy farmers, highlighting its role in increasing milk production and supporting the rural economy.
Key passages
“The farmers now should all adorn A few fields with sweet southern corn, It is luscious, thick and tall, The beauty of the fields in fall.”
Farmers are encouraged to plant sweet southern corn, which grows lush and tall, enhancing the autumn landscape.
This opening stanza promotes the cultivation of corn for ensilage, emphasizing its aesthetic and agricultural value.
“For it doth make best ensilage, For those in dairying engage, It makes the milk in streams to flow, Where dairymen have a good silo.”
This corn produces excellent silage for dairy farmers, leading to abundant milk production when stored in a proper silo.
The stanza directly links ensilage to increased dairy output, underscoring its economic importance.
“The cow is a happy rover O’er the fields of blooming clover, Of it she is a fond lover, And it makes milk pails run over.”
Cows happily graze on clover-filled fields, and their fondness for it results in overflowing milk pails.
The final stanza personifies the cow's contentment, using it as a metaphor for the productivity of good feed.
