MAKING ENSILAGE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1318, 22 December 1911, Page 8

MAKING ENSILAGE.

'r' .THE'POSITION IN THE NORTH. 'y A number of farmers in llio Feiltling i ' district who intended going in for ensili,. Age-making this season have, says; an i'.s- ■;.;. change, beea deterred by the itnl'imhir■'.'■.'able weather. However, three have.'.;...made a start, viz:—Messrs. I'. AV. Kober- " »tcin (Taoiuii), A."'PI, Barton and. AW G. . Haybitlle (Feilding). . The experiments :■.'■■'will, bo carried out under the super- :■■-.. .vision of Mr. 'NVl'Hbblc, .Fields fnstruc-;.-',tor lo the Agricultural Deportment. Mr. t..- ,'Dibble has just returned from a tour of , "Waikato and Tanuiaki, Where ensilaso >■' making is being carried out on a. largo scale, and wherej'.too, a ntjml#r. of/fail-; ■■_ tires have been made-owing .principally v to want of a little knowledge on the i>ro-„•;■-per method-ol building/- Mnnyof-tho ,■ experimenters could not build a stack that would remain perpendicular while '~■'.'■ building was in progress and after it bad settled down. Tho building of an erisil- :■ ago stack is a very/simple matter. The .".stack.should bo built on a, level site, and ■''■'.'should be. nearly sr|uare (tho ordinary , methods of building should\l:e reversed). Tbo sides, should bo two feet' higher than ; . tho centre, with a slight lean inwards, •and then well finned, so that the skies ,: . press out. to a level with the centre when ■ ' weight is' applied. Care should be taken not to build a stack near a. milking shwl as (ho milk may become tainted : from the odour set up from tho heating •'■ of tho. stack. The least quantity that i can be profitably preserved by stack on- '.:' milage is usually estimated at 25 tons. This' should lx> set ,out to cover, a space :.:- of lift, x lift.; for from 30 to 60 tons a space.'of 25ft. by 20ft. Cutting and ■ slacking may bo carried on in nil wcath- .-.• ers,which does not apply to liny-making': i. Tho adverse weather of'lute bas delayed .. the use of green stuffs such, as cars. ;wheat. maize, etc., but grass is now in splendid condition for the purpose.-..1n. ",, building a stack a first layer of from fi, ; to 8 feet should be carted to ensure the v Tcnuisito heat, say, '13i)dcg. It will lie V . .sufficient to . add a layer of about Aft. ;;■:'; each day. r' Grasses or fodder plants f .• should ba cut when they are in the most I■ ; succulent stage, or When, approaching >;: full bloom. . Maize, should be! allowed to . \--, stand until the grain: cob is formed. ;".■' Crops should not be allowed to wither «in, the sun, but should'be'stacked as .-'. "soon as possible after cutting. "Mum- of I the Stratford builders found thev were ; out of their reckoning with regard to !■; temperature, a most important matter. v;. Some of the stacks woro overliea,te'd, eaus- '■■'. ing a loss to the feeding value, and others v. ivere not snfficicntlv heated, which caus- :;■'. Ed sourness. . In building a stack a gal- :.": Tanised iron l pipe should be inserted in '.the centre of thpskclc: and in this a ■• barometer suspended. The; best silage is ;-.. made by delaying the maximnm pres- ; . • wire, until the temnerature has risen to betweon 120 and laOdeg. There aro two :'finds of ensilage—green and..brown. For tho former the temperature required is from 12.5 to KOdeg. 1 Fahr.. and for the latter tho temperature may be allowed ; I?- nse .n° ICOc,C£f ' A greater heat, than tins will. render ■ the silngo. practically useless. When the temperatnre'.dnes not , , reach 120deg. the product becomes sour. > and though wholesome is not 'considered . ■ "fttisfactory for milking stock. When < complete}! the stack should bo topped bv ... y, platform -of rough timber, with a '~. ledge 20ft. .deep around the edges. This- :. can \be ■ filled with earth W any otheri. , weighty matyrial. It should be noted V'.-T-mit sitae* will be greatly improved bv ■:• adding salt-in the proportion of' Hlb. fu '...-..njie ton of material, also that'casibve , ; '; is about one-fourth cheaper. . to 'make :• than hay. The experimenting of the ; '''?ii dl ,"- 1 . n,e , n . "'ill no. doubt' 1 Ire" tfstcUcd" ' with interest. • i' ' '. .. '