STACK ENSILAGE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1226, 7 September 1911, Page 8

STACK ENSILAGE.

OPINIONS OP AN EXPERT. The promised address by Mr. W. Dibble, Acting-Fields Instructor to tho Agricultural Department, and late manager of tho Ifcuakura Farm, was given at Sandon a few days ago. Ensilage, said Mr. Dibble, was good for all classes of stock, and was past tho 'experimental stage. Further, it was easily made, and could often be securcd from' grass or fodder plants that would otherwise be not made the best use of on tho farm. The conservation of grass and of almost all fodder plants by .ensiling in stacks offered many advantages and facilities. He thought crops should 'bo specially grown for ensilage,' especially 011 dairy tarms where the maintenance of the milk supply during tho summer was of importance. ' . The Best Crops. Crops that would ensile and occupy the land lor a short timo only were oats, Italian ryo grass, tares, peas, Clovers, maize, sorghum, and millet, These could be fed to different kinds of stock during the summer months, and what was not 60 used would provide excellent ensilage. (V stack should be mado on a level site, but should not be near a milking shed, as tho milk might become tainted from the odour set up from heating of the stack. The stack should bo nearly square. Sufficient material should be cut to make a layer of about Bft. T,he process of stackbuilding is roversed iu ensilage. The sides should bo higher and firmer than tho centre. When tho whole had settled down the sides should .bo'as dense as the rest of the stack. Tho following day the first layer would have heated to about ■ 135deg. Fah., then further layers should be added of three feet daily. Tho temperature should be maintained at bettvoen 125 and loOdeg. I'ah ; - Tha thermometer conld be let down', inside of a galvanised one-inch pipe with a pieco of string until it reached' within three feet of tho bottom, • then a cork should bo on top of . tho -pipe and ■ the thermometer left suspended for a while. If the temperature remained'lees than 125 an interval of a day or. two should, be allowed until an increase is shown, and 'If the temperature remained less than 125 material'should ho added.' Stacking may be continued as high as possible. Then the top should be levelled off. Hougli boards should bo laid over and around the sides, and a.strong framing provided. This would retain tlio final loading ■of | earth,- which should be about 24 inches thick. Sweet green ensilage requires Heating from 125 to 150dcg/Fah. At 160 it would be sweot but brown, at a greater heat useless. At from 3"0 to S5 it would bo acid,-' but useful. Silage can be fed to stock as soon as the temperature is even, on the stack,'which should bo in about two months. A wellTnia.de stack will continue improving for months. . Preparing', the:' Land. - 'Land should bo ploughed early' in the autumn, and left exposed during winter months; then cross plough and subsoil; deeply in spring, work down to a fine tilth with diso aiid harrows until the seed bed is lino and friable. Care should be exercised in the use of the roller, which t is doing little good if it simply forces tho clods into the s6il without breaking them up, and thereby creating a' hard crust an the surface. Water-logged ground should be drained., The speaker proceeded to .speak of the crops'-to grow. Maize.—l'cd Ilogau, Yellow Dcfii, Clarence Wonder, and Ninety Day were rccoin-, fnnntled on account of their having plenty of Hag, and yielding a heavy weight per acre. They should bo sowii from early in November to the end of December at tho rate of ono bushel per acre in drills 2t\ iilohcs apart. Seed might be mixed with Manure, and growth would be assisted if the scarificr were run over the rows keep the soil in a,'friable condition and check the weeds.. If tho crop 'was intended to be cut with reaper and binder three bushels of seed per acre should be sown broadcast, and ploughed under at a depth of 31 inches. Tho time to harvest was when one-third of tho crop had ?ormed its cobs and was getting slightlj glazed. Average- yield of green' fodder 20 t045 tons per acre. Sorghum make;; splendid silage on account of its richness in saccharino matter. Seeds recommended -were: Early amber cane, sorghum imp'nee, sorghum saccaratum, and black sc-rghum. Seed should, bo sown about November 20, al tho rate of 301b. of seed and 3 to 5 cwt. of blood and bono manure per acre in drills seven inches a.p.irt. Ono stroke with tine ; harrows. should be given after drilling, and if thd ground was dry and rough it should .'bo rolled. When the crop is 3 inchrs high,' a'set of ordinary tino harrows should bo used across drills once weekly until the crop got too high. Jt>should be harrowed when in full bloom. Average yield 20 to 35 tons per acre. Millots.—Japanese, White French and Pearl, sown from 12 to 201b., per acre, mixed with manure in rows 7 inches apart, and treated in tho same way as sorghum. Neither maize, sorghum nor millet stands frosts well, but can be fed with-safety until May 1. Should a frost come out of season, and turn the crops white,, they should be made into ensilage. 'Average crop 10 to 20 tous.< Clover.—lled,' crimson, and cowgrass make excellent ensilage. They' should bo cut when in full bloom, and stacked immediately, And should npt bo allowed to get wilted by tho sun. The estimated cost of manufacture was 3s. per ton,.