APPRECIATION OF ITS VALUE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1765, 2 June 1913, Page 8

APPRECIATION OF ITS VALUE.

! - Silage has conclusively proved its value in the ration of tho dairy cow, and there are not wanting evidences that it will yet coino to bo regarded us of equal value tor •all' classes of farm stock, says Mr. W. Dibble in tho Journal of Agriculture. Continuing, the writor adds; In-some countries where more intensive feeding oi dairy herds is in vogue than is tho case in New Zealand, silage is coming to bo looked upon as tho staplo fodder, and this not only for winter feeding, but ill the summer months. Mado from the proper materials it is a complete milk-pro-ducing ration, possessing that succulence •! and'bulk demanded by the dairy cow. While this is so in other countries it is surely reasonable to suppose that silage will prove equally vnluablo in rvew Zeafand. especially in view of the increasing need of making bettor use of our lands. Practical experience in both the North and the South Islands has proved that silage is all that its, advocates claim < for it. In addition to providing an ideal milk-forming food, it is an eft'ectivo insurance against adverso conditions, and thereby eliminates from dairy farming that great element of uncertainty in a country where stall feeding is not practised, and where dairy cattle are quite subject to a variable climate, unexpected-ly-harsh in some winters, and too otten of a droughty nature in the latter part of tho summer—in other words, a climate of occasional extremes, even if the extremes are not so intense as in some less-favoured lands. With these unexpected unfavourable conditions silago is an unexcelled'foddor, for if not requiret at any particular time, of the year it can 'be kept for the poriod when pastures fail and other food is scarce. Even the contention that it is more costly to sccure than special green crops loses its lorce when the great advantage of silago in being always there waiting for an cmer"cncy is considered. However, I contend that the cost of preparation is too often exaggerated. True, under some circumstances it is expensive, _ but means can federally be found to minimise tho cost, . especially where the spirit of co-operation prevails in a community, and wliero la-bour-saving devices are properly utilised. During the past season I witnessed a demonstration of ensilage-making,, where . tho . cost was certainly not more than in havmaking, except under tho unusual circumstances where ideal weather P r * 7n V. s for tho desired period without a break. The green material—meadow grass—was convoved in sledges to the stack, where it , was elevated by means of a simplo der- , ."compared with hay, silage presents several. 'distinct advantages In the hrst place, the farmer is finite independent ot :weather conditions; tlien. Ins labour and time aro economised, as there is no delay. whatever the weather; and the material is cut and stacked at once,_ so that the field is unoccupied for a minimum - of time. Is all' this saving of time and 1 Jand of no advantage? • Sucli ideal succulent and nutritious materials for silage as maize and peas, oats and tares, or lucerne, are certainly much ' more desirable for stock-feeding than dry 'Kay,"in which often little nourishment regains. Silage, indeed, is now on its trial in this country as a substitute tor , tumins as a cattle feed. At certain periods of the year it will certainly prove ; " more, suitable for milking .stock than '. quite apart from its nign nutritive value, as there will not be any unpleasant flavour imnarted to the niilli a deftest in dairvin? districts where roots aro-used, a defect which is being emphasised with the extension of cheese- . ."I 'woTild again, emphasise the fact that whilo' silatre can be made, from prjicticallv nnvthjnir grown on the farm, from . weeds to' lucerne, it should be remembered that the better the original matteT the batter the resulting silage. ><ow that I it has"been proved that .lucerne can be Frown successfully in this country, and this undor extreme conditions o( soil and environment, an ideal combination to feed 'with silage is , presented. Good lucerne hav balances the silage, aim thereby provides a ration suitable for any period of the year. In the winter owl spriu" the lucerne hay can dominate tile . cila"e. an' l in the drier months of the 1 vear the Silage can dominate the lucerne. . -in .itself luc n me is an admirable material for silage, although when in its most succulent form, as at the first cutting, it requires to he inter-layered with somo dry material, such as oaten straw. ui fact in the spring, when all plants are at their most succulent stage, and wet weather often prevails when cutting and stacking-aro in progress, it isadvisablei to use somo dry matter in order that the temperature of the stack may bo quicKly ra i=ed and the work may thereby proceed without interruption. It may bo explained that, when 6ft. to Bft. of material are stacked, no further stocking should ' ; take place till the temperature has ; risen to 130 degrees Falir. If the material is very succulent, and a moist atmosphere prevails, it is difficult to secure this de- ' sired heat, and the use of a little dry material mixed with the green stuff is the onlv alternative. If the required temperature, or the necessary heat, is attained at the first layer, no further dry . material need be employed, except with tho first cutting of lucerne, when a 6in. layer of straw is advisable between every 2ft. layer of the green lucerne. The experience of tho past season in New Zealand has definitely proved that gilnge is as valuable for stock-Feeding, especially for dairy cows, as it is in such countries as America, where its value is properly appreciated. One South' Island dnii'v farmer writes to this effect: I am satisfied with the increased production oi mv milk and cream as a result of ensilage this year. My cows have milked during the past winter equally as well as when feeding on summer pastures; in fact, they usually gain in quality and quantity when fed on first-class silage. Besides the cost of the ration being reduced, there is aWo a reduction in tho cost incr a given amount of butter-fat. This is also the invariable experience in America. It is well illustrated in the case, of two hords whose records were obtained from one of the co-operativo cowtesting associations. ** Theso herds wero chosen for comparison becauso tho average buttor-fat production was more equal than that of any other herds in tho association. One herd was fed on silape» and the other woe not. The cost of hay and grain, and tho cost to produeo lib.

of butter-frit were all lower in the case of the silage-fed cows than "\vitli tlioso not so fed. Thero was 2|d. difference in tJio cost of producing lib. of butter-fat between tlio silage-fed herd and the herd not fed with silage. This is a most important item in estimating the returns from a fairly largo herd. In another test, whero 218 cows, representing oighiccn herds, were fed silage, • whilo 125 cows, representing .seven herds, wero not fed silage—regardless of, breed, ago, of period of lactation—the silage-fed cows produced on an averago 5.9 per cent, moro milk and 7.8 per cent, moro butter-fat. At one of tho agricultural high-school demonstration farms 21,8581b. of green fodder maize, converted into silage and fed with a uniform daily allowance of liny and grain, produced 11 per cent, moro .milk th.iu when the same amount of green-fodder maize was dried and fed with the same daily ration of hay and grain. Also, 24,«01b. of silago was obtained from 29,8001b. of green fodder, and was fed with 16481b. of hay and 28841b. of grain; whilo 73301b. of field-cured foddor maize was obtained from 29,8001b. of green fodder, and was fed with 15671b. of nay and 27431b. of grain. The silage ration yielded 5 per cent, moro milk and G per cent, more butter-fat. .... In some parts of the Auckland district dairy farmers at the present time are experiencing great difficulty in maintaining a normal yield from their herds, owing to a severe spell of dry weather. Had they provided silage when feed was abundant—invarably in New Zealand there are seasons of the year when the farmer has feed going to waste—they would now be independent of the. adverso. went he reconditions, while they would at the same time .bo able to maintain their cattle in excellent condition. With silage thero is no .need for tho dairy farmer to bo ever short of feed for his stock. Not only should he havo sufficient silage for the immediate season, but he should have a reserve stack always on hand, in view of any unexpected failure of pastures or of adverso weather conditions. _ The advantages of silage feeding may bo summed up thus: It keeps young stock growing, while it enables the cow to produce milk and butter-fat more economically; it increases the production of milk and butter-fat;'more stock can be kept on ft given area; and it is the most economical scheme of supplying feed for milch cows during tho summer, months. A supply should always be kept on hand, as it is "the most valuable asset the farmer can possess. . ;