BEET LEAVES PIT SILAGE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1404, 2 April 1912, Page 8

BEET LEAVES PIT SILAGE.

TIU-; DANISH METHOD. • In the "Dnuish Agricultural Encyclopaedia," L. Jlclvcg describes the two silage pits used for kit leaves in Denmark. One is a round, pit some Ili to 20ft. in diameter, and lit. deep, 'i'hc «>il is placed c-ii the t'.vu sides, the. other-two being-left free, for the wagons to'unload: ' When ten to twelve Joads have been (lumped and the pit, is. tilled to the wise, a pair of steady horses, are made to tramp it down, all Ilia while more leaves are added. The sides for the pit must, of course, be perpendicular in allow the miss to be packed 'firmly. The leaves must never be left in tho lisld mow than one day when cut, but the tilling of the pit may bo interrupted without harm for several days. When tho pit is firmly fiTied to the edge, the wagons are driven right across it to unload. It is built, up until it is three fret above the ground in the centre, when tho leaves which have spread 'outside the pit are cut .ill' with a sharp spade and used for levelling the. surface even with Iho top. It is their left to settle and is covered with a foot of soil. .When using it the soil is removed at the desired point and about six inches of the silage, along His sides and toy, mini, he condemned. No more si 1.152 must be imcivercd than absolutely necessary. Of course, the pil must be'made in a dry spot where the water will not pens'lrate, or it must be drained lo protect it. The other shape is rectangular, Ift. wide and as long as needed. The soil is dug out as deep as the ground water will permit, and' placed on either side of the ditch. The first lends of leaves are dumped at the cuds so as to permit driving down at one end and up at the other. The silage is packed by the constant driving over it. while iilling, the leaves •being ; spread after dumping each load. When tho pit is filled as high as the soil wails along the sides, the leaves are un-, loaded at the end. stacked i(p to •!• to fifty 'above the walls. When portly settled the sides are trimmed with a sharp spade and the trimmings thrown on top, after which tlte siirfne;.- is covered with 0 to 12in. soil. A few days later, when properly settled, the covering is increased with a foot of soil and the sides are also covered. The leaves of navews fbrassicn nanus) are deemed the most vnhnb'.e for silage, but iho.-e of beet roots (beta rapacea) ami turnips may also bo used. In this connection it may be of interest to mention an estimate of the yield per aero in "fodder units." The navow leaves were given an average of about 1000 units, the leaves of l.eet. roots and sugar beets about, the same Oram » to 1425 i. While Hi? carrot leaves should average 1700 units and are not nearly us laxative as the other-. Beet leaves generally sh.iuld be fed with great caution, but it wip be seen that Ihey have quile a value correspohdimr, .-ay, lo 10001b. of grain per n;re.