Etasilage Experiment in Dunedin.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 103, 9 June 1884, Page 2

Etasilage Experiment in Dunedin.

We lake the following from the Otago Daily Times :— The desirability of preserving green fodder for the purpose of fattening stock during the winter months is evident. It is only, however, of recent years that a cheap process of preservation has been discovered, and this process, like a good many more inventions of the present day, has its origin m the brain of some ingenious American. The process is a ve»y simple ono. It consists of inclosing a quantity of green hay or corn m a hermetically sealed barrel or box, or even m a pit dug m the ground. On the pit being opened after a few weeks the hay is found to be quite fresh and, excepting 1 a little chan»e m the colour, no material difference is noticeable, while it lias lost none of its substance. Cattle are said to be very fond of green food thus preserved, and devour it greedily. The process is one that has attracted a good deal of attention both m America and m the Home Country, and is at the present time adopted by many leading agriculturists. "What has probably been the first experiment of the kind m New Zealand was made by Mr Cairns, of this city. Mr Cairns had a quantity of green oaten hay cut into chaff: and then placed m barrels. These were left without being disturbed for a period of ten weeks, and last Saturday they were opened. A number .of gentle men interested m such matters, were present lo witness the result of the experiment. It was generally pronounced to be of a very satisfactory nature. A little mould h.id gathered round the upper edges of the casks, but theie were no more than a couple of pounds weight of the contents not fit for >se. The fattening qualities of the article might have been somewhat improved had a liitle salt been sprinkled amongst the chaff when it was sealed up ; otherwise the result of the experiment was all that could be desired, and now that its success ban been demonstrated m New Zealand, we may expect to hear of ensilage being used m a piactical way by our agriculturists before long.