QUALITY ENSILAGE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 202, 11 September 1937, Page 11

QUALITY ENSILAGE

Results of Norsewood Competitions JUDGE WELL PLEASED Considerable interest in the making of ensilage in Central Hawke's Bay has been taken by farmers of late years and as a result a very high stanijard of quality has been reached. The method of conservation has become diffieult to fault. The use of the trench method is being favoured as it affords a greater degree of consoli.dation which is an important factor in silage conservation. In the annual ensilage competitions conducted by the Norsewood and Otawhao branches of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, fewer entries were received than usual due to the hard feed conditions in the .districts generally, necessitating many farmers using all their hay and ensilage for- their 'stock. However, sixteen entries were received and those hav,e now been judged by.Mr. J. W. Palmer, Government Instructor in Agriculture l'or "Hawke's- Bay. ' • Mr. Palmer stated this morning that even though the raw material in one or two instances was not of first-class grasses, excellent silage Was made from this somewhat poor material; the*waste iu some instances being" practically. nil. One of the interesting features-ol: tho competition was the distinct increase in the nunibor of trenches and, out of, tho sixteen entries, only' one was a stack. Tho method of conservation has been devoted to either a pit or a trench. Probably the trench is becoining more favoured as the consolidation is greatly increased by tho constant carting over the preceding loads. This point of consolidation is one of the most important factors in suecess with ensilage.

Mr. H. Mercer First. "The pit of Mr. H. Mercer, with a total of 195 points, took first placo. Although the raw material was not so good as soine of the 'others, he made an excellent quality product with the raw material, with practically no waste," said Mr. Palmer. "The second place was taken by Mr. Kell's p.it and Mr. A. G. Parker's staek; both these being fine quality silage. Mr. Parker's staek was the only one entered in the competition and is one of the best stacks I have ever seeni Here the quality gained 48$ points out of the maximum of 50 points, whilo waste, which is usually considerabjle! in a, stack, was at a minimum for this method of conservation. The raw material was of a high quality, out at the right stage, although actually a little burr and goosegrass prevented; it secuTing higher points. However - the product warranted a place on any f arm. ' ' The lowest points allotted were 89, and the highest 95. This shows the high standard which has been obtained by the farmer in his method of silage conservation. It is now becoining difficult to fault farmers in their method of conservation, and actually the points which separate the various entries are those for the raw material handled and wastage. Detailed Figures. Detailed results of tho competition are as follow: — -

Raw Material Quality Waste Total 20. 50. 30. 100 H. Mercer I7i 4S£ 29 95 G. Kells, No 2 1S1 4S 28 94* W. Jenkins (trench) 18* 48 27* 94 N. Nickolai- \ son 18* 48* 27. 94 : R. Tait (oats and lucerne) 19 47, 27 93 R. Anderson, No. 3 (trench) IS* 47 87* 93 F. Read, (trench) 17* 47 28 92* G. Kolls, No. * 1 17, 47 28 92 R. Anderson. No. 2 18* 46 27* 92 D. Hartnett 17* 46* 27, 91 R. Anderson, No. 1 (trench) 17* 46* 26* 90* 0. Kilgour, . (trench) 17 47 26 90 G. Illfiby 17* 47 25 89* W. K. Mearing 16 46 27* S9* S. Menick 16 44* 28* S9 STACK. 'Cover Waste 15. R.M. Q. .15. Ttl. A. G. Parker 14 18* 48* 14 94*