Agriculutral.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2304, 16 April 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Agriculutral.

SWEET ENSILAGE. (N.Z. ConN'J'RY JotJKNAL.) The system of preserving foniu-e crops for the winter feeding of the stuck, other tliiui r.hiifc of evaporation—or, in other words, hay-making— has for some tirtio pust boeu iitti'ir.'.titi^ , coii-itlorn'ole attention, first, in the Unil.od States of Amoriu-i, and then in Grout Britain, as well as on tlio Contiui.'ul,. Frizes hiivii been offffrd by several of the Agricultural Societies for the bet siirnplea of ensilage, prepared in various WfiyH. The pit system in silo is the most. μ-encral method ad' ir >tod ;is yet. The expense, however, i f building- in silo is considerable ; to avoid this, efforts h.ive been nnide to produce th;> same results over ground. Tlii.s him been achieved with considerable success. Several methods for compressing- the material sis t-tneked have been ptit.enrod. The subject of ensiling crops is not without interest, to the Now Zealand former. Imperfect, attempts have been made to test the new system, with varying success. This season, however, a more systematic effort has been made at the farm of Mr Fisher, Colombo road south, Christciiurch, where seven acres of ryegrass were cut, and the same day carted and built in a stack, weighted by the apparatus known as Reynolds and Co's patent. Mr M. (lampbell, of ljlooinlield, lias also built acotipln of stacks, composed of all kinds of herbal rubbish, such as gorse clippings, Cape broom, ox-eye daisy, mixed with a variety of valuable grasses. These stacks are weighted on the principle of continuous pressure. The results of these experiments will be watched with considerable interest. For the. guidance of those who may feel disposed to experiment for their own information, the following extract from "Sweet Ensilage," by G. Pry, F.L.S., will be instructive : — TIME OP CUTTING ENSILAGE CROPS.— THKIR CONDITION. Sweet enailafre bears about the same relationship to the fjreen crop from which it is produced as ripe fruit does to green. It is, therefore, essential that the crop should be out at sm.-h a stage of maturity as will favour of this ripening , process. it is the same stage as that chosen by practical fanners when cutting , fodder for hay. It seems to me that the proper state of maturity in all oases is soon after the plant has bloomed. At this stage most plants will contain a suitable amount of moisture, viz., not exceeding 1 75 per cent.

In some cases, as when spring crops of green rye, oats, or clover have to be cut for ensilage to make room for a succeeding autumn crop of roots, iVc, it may be found convenient to cut the green crop as soon as, or even a little before, the blooming stage has been reached, and before the :imount of moisture contained in the plants has been sufficiently reduced ; in these crises fine weather must be chosen, and the cut fodder must be allowed to lie on the ground from morning until evening, and sometimes for a longer time, until some part of the moisture has evaporated. The crops cut in May (in the South of England) are apt to contain a much larger percentage of water than a superficial observer would suppose. Giecn rye is very deceptive in this respect, and care must be t-iken to dry this crop sulfioiently before- ensiling, if it is not Hiiijiciently matured.

The only practical test of moisture which I can suggest is that a, wisp of the fodder crop should be taken in the hands and twisted ; if moisture can be wrung out of it, even although the amount may be very small, the fodder is too wet. In no have I obtained a good result from fodder which has been so wet that moisture has been pressed out of in in the silo, Neither can there be nay advantage in expending- labour on car tin sr an excessive amount of water from the field to the silo.

On the other hand, when the crop luia sufficiently matured to bo mown, b;\d weather may prevail. In this oa>e the crop niny be allowed to stand longer, so that deficiency of moisture in the plants themselves will be compensated by a little •moisture which may cling to their surfaces should the cutting nnrl carting be carried on in .showerv weather.

In my opinion the best ensilage is that obtained from nlants whioh have, been cut soon after efflorescence, and have been exposed after cutting in the silo to admit just .-uffiident. air to perfect ripening ; such ensilage has a distinctly fruity odour, reminding one of dried fruir. If the plant has stood too long, or if the exposure to the air (eitherin the field or in the silo) has been too great, the ensilage is more aromatic and more nearly resembles hay ; this type is very useful, but appeal's to me to contain less of the feeding properties of the original crop than the more fruity. If the plants have been out two young:, or the exposure to uir (either in the silo or in the field) has been too short, the result is sour ensilage, whioh, in my opinion, is distinctly.inferior to the other kind above mentioned. The ensilage crops, of which I have had some experience, are :—Green rye, trifoliuin inearnatuin (red-top clover), with and without oats ; tares or vetches with oats ; trifoliurn pratense (broad clover) with rye-grass ; and meadow grass. Green rye is cut with us early in May, when in ear, but before it blooms. Although carted in line, sunny weather, it always contains more than 7r> per cent, of moisture, and it is necessary to mow it and allow it to lie on the ground for one or two days previous to cartins; and ensiling, or it will not heat sufficiently. Trifolium incaniatum with us is cut in May or early June, and is a very heavy succulent crop. I have always found it necessary, even in sunny weather, to cut this crop in the morning, a:id cart it to the silo in the evening. In dull weather it should be allowed to dry on the ground for at least twenty-four hours before it is carted. The youn<r shoots of tares or vetehs are very succulent, and fl.acc.irl, and. this circumstance renders this a difficult crop to ensile perfectly. Fine weather at the end of May or beginning of June must be chosen for outtiug this crop, and it must ■ be allowed lie on the ground for at least twenty-four hours. Clover and rye grass and meadow grass are the crops from which it is most easy to make sweet ensilage. ' If allowed to stand until they have passed the blooming stage they may be mown and at once carted, to the silo.