GRASS SILAGE

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 291, 21 November 1936, Page 4 (Supplement)

GRASS SILAGE

Early Preparations Pay FAULTS TO AVOW V> ilh pastures, lucerne .. . I crops generally througnoui nu i Bay snowing good spixtig giuuu J larmers williin tne next tew weeds wi Lc gathering in li.ctr lii.it cuts io ensilage. The common fault ol fcaviii I a crop too long before cutting s.ami | be avoided in oruer that tne sila;. I should possess Us higuusl n .liiiii I value without the urn.enable c.mru. I teristics of over-maturity in growu. , Adequate consolidation of tn. grcei 1 material is of great importance in un;c to obviate waste l.uvugit ucc«y. i.. i carrying capacity ol a nifni is deLei | mined by' wliat it can cariy du mg tin ' leaner months of li.e year, ami lh< I value or supplementary feeding fiat I vested at tne correct time is ...cut, i rapidly recognised by farmms. Wilniil a lew uw...-, pa.-..tin throughout tile district will w al Un-, best. Ample rain.i and niihi tempuia tures have assured the giowlii ol mm than adequate teed ami, urn .ng ti. flush season, li.e siock will not ue am. to keep pace with tlie giowili. ft is a i this period that one ol the most com I it on weaknesses in pasture manage.mm ' methods becomes nppment. Ou tne a\ erage dairy farm tne iiumer.ea strength of tlie herd is del ermineil a: most entirely by the act.ml curry iu; capacity of the farm (lining I he ietitiv months of the year, till urn.ph it I'W be admitted llml tlie number ol I i. o on which rt f pleiiientaiy ie« d i < pro vided dating ;.w vil mouths is in - e:.s ing rapidly c;<f. vuif. Mo<t li.iry farmers are awaie of the tact that while leafy pasture growth as a .uh piovides a highly suitable feed for tin milking cow, the same pasture affm flowering is far from being siitalde After flowering the pristine he.-oirm stemmy ami woody in clm rm-1 er firn forms a conipu I:i I i vel v poor feed I'm live stock of aiiv kind. Tim hat’ growth cr a fresh young pasture n characterised by a relatively high pro tein content, thus making if an admir able food for the cow in milk. It con tains also a comparatively high percett tage of the mineral matter which is needed for the formation of milk and of the bone in the growing animal. SYSTEMATIC GRAZING. Another advantage ol ime young pu.s tu.ru is imu tne leuiy g>m> .a is ...mu more ciigcs.tib.u tim.ii is me same Her bagu uner Uowemig. exgem munis mue suown mat wmie del u,. out ol every lliuiu. of Hie uiy nmiier 01 lealv gru'wm is U.gesLiijie, in me cum. ut stemmy gruwlir tne prcmprmm is iiniy -lulu, to utjlb. of eitcii luuiu. Yui another important iuc.ior against tin practice of allowing me pum.ire to g< to seed is timl pu.sl.ire plants wmci have been ailuwcu io becmue lull ami Stemmy during early summer assume a relatively inactive condition during a considerutile ami critical portion 01 ihc producing season—the lute summer tine early autumn. On the other mind pas lures which have not been allowed to develop to the flowering stage, tend to produce leafy feed more coiiiinuuusly and in greater amounts during, ttuu period, provided growth was not too snort at the commencement of the period.

Systematic grazing, which has been made possible by the closer subdivision of paddocks, has done much to overcome the problem of rank, stemmy pas tures, but grazing alone cannot solve the problem unless the number of stock carried on the farm is varied with the seasons. The proper solution, of course, lies in the conservation of the surplus feed of late spring and early summer, and its utilisation daring the leaner period of the year, thus making the carrying capacity of the farm practically constant throughout the year. This conservation involves the making of either meadow hay or silage. While each has its advocates there can be little doubt that the latter offers the greater advantages, since silage is more palatable than dry meadow hay, and its making is less dependent on the state of the weather than is the case with hay making. Silage also involves less labour, particularly if intelligent preparations are made well in advance of the actual time of ensiling the surplus pasture growth. The main objective of such preparation should be to eliminate any uuuviawi»ury labour,

PIT SLEAGE. . In this connection, perhaps, the mosi important fa«4»jr is the provision ot conveniently located pits or.trenches it pit silage is to be made or suitable sites if stack silage is favoured. The former method is the more popular in other countries and in other States, but while the pit or trench method has been adopted by many Victorian dairy farmers the stack silo also is very popular here. Suitable locations fur pits or trenches can be found on most farms. The site should be convenient to the paddock te be cut and well draiaed. The trenc.h, which should be excavated - wi'ah, lnlM>e labour and trimmed- of? with the spade,"should be wide enough to allow the passage through it of the farm waggon or sweeps which are used to gather tip the material to lie ensiled. To facilitate the passage of the teams through the trench both ends should have a sulliciently gentle slope. This method not only reduces the labour of handling the heavy green material, but also allows of it being compacted by the trampling-, of the horses. This, in turn, increases the eflicieney of the pit silo and reduces the eventual wastage. The work of etisil age making will be greatly facilitated by the use of the many labour-saving devices available, such as sweeps and hoists. These may be purchased ready for hse, but any handy man should have little or no difficulty in knocking up suitable substitutes on the farm. With pits in readiness ami sweeps and hoist prepared beforehand, the actual patting down of the silage should of ter no very great difficulties. THE POWER OF LOVE. “Poor ohl Fred seems to have got It badly,” said Mabel. “What’s lie been doing now,” asked her friend. “Why,” was the reply, “ever since he got engaged to the vicar’s daughter he’s being wearing his collars Hie wrong way round, and now he’s having stained glass windows put in his new earl”