IN AND ABOUT THE FARM.

Waipa Post, Volume I, Issue 43, 12 September 1911, Page 4

IN AND ABOUT THE FARM.

STACK ENSILAGE.

OPINIONS OF AN EXPERT,

The promised address by Mr W. Dibble, Acting Fields Instructor to the Agricultural Department, and late manager of the Ruakura Farm, was given at Sandon a few days ago. Ensilage, said Mr Dibbie, was good for all classes 1 of stock, and was past the experimental stage. Further, it was easily made, and could often be secured from grass or fodder plants that would not otherwise be made the best use of on the farm, the conservation of grass 'and of almost all fodder plants by ensiling in stacks offered many advantages and facilities. He thought crops should be specially grown for ensilage, especially on dairy farms, where the maintenance of the milk supply during the summer was of importance. THE BEST CROPS. Crops that would ensile and occupy the land for a short time only were oats, Italian rye grass, tares, peas, clovers, maize, sorghum, and millet. These could be fed to different kinds of stock during the summer months, and what was not so used would provide excellent ensilage. A stack should be made on a level site, but should not be near a milking shed, as the milk might become tainted from the odour set up from heating of the stack. The stack should be nearly square. Sufficient material should be cut to make a layer of about Bft. The process of stack building is reversed in ensilage. The sides should be higher and firmer than the centre. When the whole had settled down the sides should be as dense as the rest of the stack. The following day the first layer would have heated to about 135 deg. Fah.; then further layers of three feet should be added daily. The temperature should be maintained at between 125 and 150 deg. Fah. . The thermometer could'be let down inside of a one inch galvanised pipe with a piece of string' until it reached within three feet of the bottom, then a cork should-be put on top •of the pipe and the thermometer ieft suspended for- a while. If the tempsrature remained less than 125 an interval of a clay or two should be allowed until an increase is shown, and if the temperature remained less than 125 material should be added. Stacking may be continued as high as possible. Then the top should be levelled off. Rough boards should be laid over and around the sides, and a strong framing provided. This would retain the final loading of earth, which should be about 24 inches thick. Sweet green ensilage requires heating from 125 to 150 deg. Fah. At 160 it would be sweet but brown, at a greater heat useless. At from 120 to 85 it would be acid, but useful. Silage can be fed to stock as soon as the temperature is even on the stack, which should be in about two months! A well-made stack will continue improving for months. PREPARING THE LAND.

Land should be ploughed early in the autumn, and left exposed during winter months ; then cross plough and subsoil deeply in spring, work down to a fine tilth with disc and harrows until the seed bed is fine and friable. Care should be exercised in the use of [the roller, which is doing little good if it simply forces the clods into the soil without breaking them up, and thereby creating" a hard crust in the surface. Water-logged ground should be drained. The speaker proceeded to speak of the crops to grow. Maize. —Red Hogan, Yellow Dent, Clarence YVonder, and Ninety Day were recommended on account of their having plenty of flag, and yielding a. heavy weight per acre. They should be sown from early in November to the end of December, at the rate of one bushel per acre in drills 21 inches apart. Seed might be mixed with manure, and growth would be assisted if the scarifier were run over the rows to keep the soii in a friable condition and check the weeds. If the crop was intended to be cut with reaper and binder three bushels of seed per acre should be sown broadcast, and ploughed under at a depth of IV2 inches. The time to harvest was when one-third of the crop had formed its cobs and was getting slightly glazed. Average yield of green fodder 20 to 45 tons per acre.

Sorghum makes splendid silage on account of its richness in saccharine matter. Seeds recommended were : Early amber cane,

sorghum imphee, sorghum saccaratum, and black sorghum. Seed should be sown about November 20, at the rate of 30lb of seed and 3 to 5 cwt of blood and bone manure per acre in drills seven inches apart. One stroke with tine harrows should be given after drilling, and if the ground was dry and rough it should be rolled. When the crop is 3 inches high, a set of ordinary tine harrows, should be used across drills once weekly until the crop got too high. It should be harrowed when in full bloom. Average yield 20 to 35 tons per acre.

Millets. Japanese, White French and Pearl, sown from 12 to 20lb per acre, mixed with manure in rows 7 inches apart, and treated in the same way as sorghum. Neither maize, sorghum nor millet stands frost well, but can be fed with safety until May I. Should a frost come out of season, and turn the crops white, they should be made into ensilage. Average crop 10 to 20 tons.

Clover. —Red, crimson, and cowgrass make excellent ensilage. They should be cut when in full bloom, and stacked immediately, and should not be allowed to get wilted by the sun. The estimated cost of manufacture was 3s per ton.