Stack Ensilage Best.

Manawatu Herald, 1 August 1899, Page 2

Stack Ensilage Best.

There is no doubt that the stack method of making ensilage is the best for Australian conditions. It is by far the cheapest, and the result?, as a rale, are as good (ip many instances batter) than those obtained by constructing the most elaborate and expensive pit silos, together with tha chaffing of the fodder previous to putting it into the pit. [n stack ensilage every variety of crop is pot up whole, even maze, and if it is required to be out up into chaff that can be better done after stacking than before. Chaffing is not necessary to ensure good ensilage and the process is more expensive before making the ensilage than after* ward*, because the making time is usually a more busy period than the feeding time ; and some of the very finest ensilage foddjr seen by the present writer was whole maize •±n9iiaga cut oub nf :h°. stack in long section* with a hiy knife, and then passed through the chaflfcutter preparatory to mixing with hay and straw chaff before feeding to a herd of milking cows. In the ordinary method of making siack ensilage one objection is the getting of the posts and railp, kerosene tins of earth or other weighing material up to the cop of a srack, which at the beginning h vary high, uUboiigh it afterwards i comes down greatly in th<? pressing. I Probably the simplest least'laborious anl at the saraa tim* tfLcted, method cf storing green fodder by ' the ensilage process yet accoinpliehed is that introduced into the Wimmera I district by Mr T. K. Dow, His first i experiments ware in the way of i rendering Btack erissiiage labor I saving with respect to the manner 1 .f ipp'ying the pressure by mean* of wire brinds, tightened by lever " twi'ches " used on wool waggon *, ! on what is called " Spanish windlass " principle. The next development was in the direction of making lower 6tacks of ensilage. It was found that many farmers had a [ preference for using dead weight, mcb a? posts, firew.md, or earth, I md to suit the requirements of such I ie was considered that low, broad, ! stack? should be erected instead of high narrow ones. To put several S)ns of dead weight is very laborious md there is great danger of the -tack listing over. Were dead weight is to be used, therefore, a square, fiat stack about 12 feet high is recommended. The concluding was afterwards carried oat with entire success, and in this way the full advantage of a low stack is secured, .combined with a shallow excavation, the latter also supporting he weight for the stack. An excavaion 3 feet deep, makes the size of the tack foundation. The ppoil is neaped on up on one Bide as high as be scoop will carry it. The stack h built in the excavation to a height >f 12 feet, thus being only 9 feet *bive th 9 surface, and not much higher than (he heap of spoil. Men standing on the spoil heap shovel Garth on to the stack f>r securing the necessary pressure which eventually bring the 9 feat down to 3 feet. Earth U put on to the depth of 18 inches, and the temperature kept below 122 degrees, thus producing sour ensilage which 49 already mentioned, is the best for milking cows. Posts are laid round the edge of the staok on top to enable t-he earth to ba heap.?d up, and no roofing is found to be necessary — The Leader.