Farm and Garden.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 141, 22 March 1909, Page 3

Farm and Garden.

Maize Silage

There is a farmer in the Fielding district, Mr Mills, who has, states the "New Zealand Times," proved that miize can be grown successfully under normal conditions of soil and climate in his district, and that there is r.o

difficulty in converting it into stacked and chaffed silages. For ten years this progresesive farmer has been able to provide his dairy herd with an abundance of this valuable fodder throughout the winter. At the present tin e the silo, which adjoins the byre, hold? 120 tons, while there is over liO tons in a stack in the field. Speaking ox the method of chaffing the maize for the silo, Mr Mills emphasised to the writer that this process was certainly economical. Silage so prepare ', was of a better feed value than that in the stack, and there was much !>-s? waste. True, there was some waste at the top edges, but this was so slight it was not worth considering. No weight at all was applied in the silo, but a layer of grass is placed on top. ar.n this appears to form a pranicai:;.' airtight covering. The mai/a- is ehafiMd by an American chafT<--r and oava'or, which carries the mat' rial v. 'op of the soil. Mr Mil:-' <■""]> ia.it year was a very line or.-. it ?t->ci iui'.v 12 feet high, and was heavy that a great portion of it w-.nt down. There were eight acres r the crop, and the yield was e.= ! - mat'--: a: thirty tons an acre. During th- t-r. years Mr Mills has grown maize h- ha? had r.n;y one failure, lie '■'■■■ '■ that tr.c- crop demands any j arti. ua.r V, :th him it has en v. a w.-h r mm. .-access on loose river .-hi:.;'.' . : ;;: -n ;rKsand, tough day. an-'. •' am. ami tra results w-rr- pv-" :■ a. ; y emia: a;: round. This y> ar's y a v.a? grown on fairly tough '-.ay.-y ?■•:/:. ratn'-r i a a.;, exposed. Tie- ia.v: v.-a.- :.•>•<. exceptionally weli-wor.m a it was peugn cultivated to :ust a tair seed tied. Maize, in Mr '-rcpcmnce. grov/s best on an old : ■. timed ami cultivated to a tilth, so that it may b'- dr;..' : 'a-- ; y. Ii .arm re harrowed af;.-r ■!.'• ; .ant? an- t:]j a :>• v.inches if n;.:? vmrisaad i.mp? turn maiz<? con."id' mmy. Mr Mids has given much thought to siiago and the construction of silo?. Pie has an idea for constructing a simple tub, or stave, silo, which, he calculate, may be constructed at a cost of about .£l2, this estimate depending, of course, on the local price of timber. This will give a silo IJ-S feet across and 15 or l'j feet high.