MAIZE ENSILAGE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 877, 25 July 1910, Page 8

MAIZE ENSILAGE.

WO INTERESTING EXHIBITS. In Taranaki the making of ensilage has never boon gono in for extensively, but ill the last few years the fodder has boon provided and stored in greater quantities than in the past. • One of the chief reasons why ensilage is not made in largo quantities in Taranaki is that in the exceptionally prolific .dairying.province green food can be grown all the year round. And of the various kinds of ensilage made in the prorince, probably less is made from maize than from any other crop. Mr. A. Payne, of Matapu, Taranaki, exhibited at tho Hawera Winter Show a. sample of maize ensilage which ho had made. There was also a sample of ehaffed maize ensilage exhibited by Mr. N. Ohlsen, of Tuakau, Auckland. Mr. Ohlsen, who is an enthusiast m ensilage matters, advocates cutting the crops very much later than is the custom in Taranaki: He holds' that when most farmc-rs cut, the crops aro too green—that they contain too much water. With tho later cutting, ho says, the acidulous properties are turned into sugar. Mr. Ohlsen is also emphatic that maize ensilage should bo chaffed. Both the exhibits were examined by farmers with a great deal of interest, and those who had not seen that Kind of ensilage before were rather favourably impressed.