THE MAN ON THE LAND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 95, 17 December 1912, Page 6

THE MAN ON THE LAND.

LUCERNE FOR SILAGE. LOSS OF PROTEIN. In some careful experiments carried out by the Victorian Department of Agriculture to ascertain the changes or losses in forage during the process of ensiling, it was found, among other features, says the ‘Sydney Telegraph,’ that there was a loss of nearly 50 per cent, of the true protend in lucerne in nine weeks. Fresh lucerne is particularly rich in the valuable protein constituent as compared with ordinary fodder. The experimenters, as a result of this test, regard it as a waste of protein to convert lucerne into silage. “Protein,” they state, “is the expensive constituent in a fodder. In the ease of maize or ordinary cereals there is 50 to 66 polecat. loss protein to start with. These, therefore, are crops which seem more suitable for ensiling. They will lose less protein because they have less to lose. Ensilage has its advantages and its disadvantages. The drawbacks are connected with an inevitable loss of food materials. But the loss during ensiling falls more heavily upon certain of the constituents of foods than upon others. From these experiments it seems to fall heavily upon the proteins. And, as lucerne is particularly rich in protein, it soems better that lucerne should bo cured as hay rather than ensilage. Such hay forms an admirable addition to silage made from less nitrogenous fodder, feuch as wheat, oats, or maize.”