MAKING GOOD ENSILAGE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 663, 16 October 1933, Page 2

MAKING GOOD ENSILAGE

DR. ANNETT'S COMMENTS. Dr. H E. Anett, of Matangi, in a 'recent address, said that he had had ' a great deal of experience with en- ' silage and had never found that it did any harm to cattle so long as it was good silage. Silage. was not as ' good as the grass from which it was cut. It was necessary to preservegrass and ensilage was the best ' means. A tower enabled the best ensilage 'to be made, and secondly there was the trench system, but if these Were not possible th'e stack method' -would 'have to be used. Very igood ensilage could be made in a trench', for it was possible hy driving stock over the en- ' silage as it was bein£ put in to consolidate it very satisfactorily. 1 It was essential, if good ensilage ' was to be made, that* the air be kept out in order to prevent the tempera'ture rising. For that reason wooden or concrete slab silos were of no use unless treated to make them airtight. A start should be made to make ensilage before the first of the grass was ready, otherwise, by the time the ' last was got in it had passed th'e best stage and was nothing but fibre. He always commenced making ensilage in the first week in October. In Finland it had been discovered that by spraying muriatic acid on the grass as it was being put.in, the ensilage became of equal feeding value to youn,'g grass. This was a radicaj departure and was causipg ensflge to supplant concentrated foods.