ENSILAGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2417, 7 January 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

ENSILAGE.

Tins is a subject to which fanners, both in Britain and America, are giving a great deal of attention. Like everything else, the system has its advocates and opponents ; some farmers declaring that it is much superior to hay as a food for cattle and sheep, while others, again, have a very poor opinion of it for such purposes. The majority of those who have tried it seem to bo clearly of opinion that it is a valuable food, that it fattens well for the market, causes a good How of milU, and is a good butter producer, but that other foods, such as hay, bran, pollard, and roots, should be fo<L along with it, and that it is more suitable for cattle and sheep than for horses. In America the chief substance lined in the manufacture of ensilage is nearly ripened inai/.o (of corn, as it is there called.) The maize is planted in rows, and permitted to grow in the usual way until it is just beginning to glaze or dent, according to the variety, when it is run through a chaffcutter, and cut in something less than liu. lengths, and (illed into the silos. Great improvements have recently been made in the construction of the silo, and in the preparation of the ensilage. The Americans have, as a rule, adopted the plan of manufacturing ensilage in barn-like buildings divided into compartments and of filling slowly, and giving little or no pressure beyond the weight of the material used iu its manufacture. The buildings divided into compartments arc said to be most advantageous in filling and emptying ; and it is batter not to have too much of the. material in a body. The main object in preparing the silo, to insure success, seems to be the exclusion of air. For this reason the sides of the pit must be made as air-tight as possible. The door of the pit should he strewn with wheat chaff or any light dry hay or straw cut before the reception of the silage material. In placing it in the pit it should be well trampled down round the edges. But the middle may be left to take care of itself. The pit may bo filled in at the rate of from 20 tons to 30 tons per day, as the labour available can accomplish. Next day another compartment can be filled ; and so on, supposing there are four pits. On the fourth day go back to the first pit, whioli will bo found at a temperature of 120deg. to 125dcg. l< , . 140dcg. will do no harm. Then fill up again ; and when full make the top quite smooth. Cover it nicely over with boards, put tarred brown paper on the top of the boards, and then another layer of boards, breaking the joints of the underneath covering of boards. Sawdust, sand, or loam may then bo spread over the boards to a depth of a few inches to exclude the air, or lft. to 2ft. to give weight as desirable. It does not, however, appear that the covering with loam is an essential necessity, as my.iv i l'lividuals have made good, cnsilng; by merely covering with boards and p;;per without any superincumbent weight whatever. All are, . however, agreed that the filling of the silo should take place slowly, in pits of about 10ft. by 16ft. inside, and 20ft. high. Such a pit will hold about 100 tons of ensilage, and should bo filled according to temperature. Supposing that 30 tons of material are put into the. silo, it should be permitted to ferment until the temperature rises to 125tlcg. or ISOdog. F. before any more is put in. The next addition of 30 tons to the pit will heat more quickly, as it will draw its lmat from the strntii.ii below. But it should also rise to lMOdeg. temperature before any more is added. The pit should not bo covered in until the temperature has risen, as described. The ensilage during fermentation will settle from one-third to onefifth the depth of the silo, and take from seven to ten weeks to mature, according to material and climate. About 50 cubic feet of space will contain one ton of ensilage. In England, ensilage is made in stacks built like hay stacks, both square tops and peaked. Then there are the simple dirt-covered silo, and the cutter and elevator.

In England Mr C. G. Johnson was awarded a prize of £25 for the best silage from stack by the lloynl Agricultural Society. The waste from the whole stack was decided not to bo more than li per cent. Tho Agricultural Gazette (England) remarked that the silage stack was plainly the silage factory of the future. All kinds of growing grain or grass may be made into siiago. In England clover, rye, oats, barley, &c, are largely used for that purpose. But in America maize predominates, as it gives the largest amount of weight to the acre, and makes excellent ensilage. In this country in seasons like the present, the quantity of material available for ensilage is practically unlimited. For dairy cattle it will be found a valuable change of food. In manufacturing ensilage in tho stack it will bo seen from our illustrations that tho pressure is accomplished by winches, screws, or windlasses, and, of course, can bo applied on a variety of principles. In America (as has been said) tho silos aro simply barns, and are very often used for tho purpose. The foundation is usually stono or brick, raised a foot or twu abovo tho lcv.'l of tho soil, and the floor made up to tho level of tho foundation with oaith or Komctiincs cement. The sides arc double boarded, and sometimes wall papci , is placed between the boards. If tho building 1 happens (o bo brick or stono tho walls aro also cemented. I l'H.s excavated in hill side--, or dug tank fashion are also much nsod for the manufacture of eiiMlnjre. But a difficulty is experienced in r.vludinjf water ; and they aro found to bo loss economical in filling and emptying than above-ground buildings. In tho ease of pit or brim silos, when opened the foil dor should bo fed from the top ; and it fhould be fed level down. If opened at tho side too l.:v_v:> a quantity of air is admitted into iho centre of tho mass; and a second frriu"!i!iitiim is liable to result. Itha.B been ol'k'ii asserted that silos might bo filled in all weathers, and with material in different conditions of moisture. Experience, however teaches differently from this. Silos should not bo filled with fodder saturated with water by rain or other caußcs, as mildews and fungoid growths aro apt to supervene, The fodder should bo in fair growiug condition when put into the soil, and at about its bust weight. When fermentation ceases in tho soil tho temperature should stand a'v about SOdejy Fall. Tho old system of manufacturing ensilage was to, iill quickly and press heavily A low heat and slow fermentation woro tho consequences of this. Tho higher temperature partially cooks tho food, aud produco a chaugo of tho starchy matter into a sweet I and soluble form ; and the greater heat also destroys the various bacteria contained in the fodder. Under tho old system a temperature just sufficient to induce fermentation was attained, but ;xt sufficient to destroy the bi>u'sey.ia, which promoted an acid ov. sour fermentation. It was from this ciass of ensilage that the unpleasantness in odor proceeded, and the complaints of tainted milk and butter aroso. By tho now method of preparation, these drawbacks aro avoided, aud a superior class of food obtained.'