ENSILAGE MAKING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 166, 12 July 1912, Page 11

ENSILAGE MAKING.

SOME DIPORTANT POINTS. What is described by those present as a very interesting and instructive address was delivered before a meeting under the auspices of the Hawera branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union by Mr Noil Ohlson, a member of the Auckland branch of the union. This gentleman has had over twenty years' experience in ensilage making. He stated at the outset that the most important thing to be remembered was that the silo must he strongly built and made perfectly airtight. The depth ■must not he less than 15 to 20 feet. If the material was handy, and funds permitted, reinforced concrete was the best to build the silo, but, if carefully selected, timber did very well. The best shape was round, but of course each man built according to local circumstances. The ?lio could he built on a hillside, or on the level, and it should be erected in a place where it would be handy for feeding purposes. Mr Ohlson informed his audience that, in his own case, his silo was ill the barn, and he always fed while the milking was in progress. As to the crops to be grown, his experience had gone to show that practically any plant would make ensilage, but where maize could be grown that was far the most satisfactory crop to grow. With care and cultivation sufficient maize could be grown on an acre of ground to keep a cow for a year, that was from 16 to 20 tons. He sowed Italian, rye, grazed for four months, and then cultivated the land again for maize. If the land was well fed and worked, maize would do well year after year. If the fanner had any dry hay or straw, he should mix this with the maize when chaffing, as it considerably improved the feeding value. of ensilage. When sowing, a bushel of maize was sufficient per acre, and the maize should be sown in drills not less than two feet, apart and kept clean until the plants are well established. Sometimes the maize was cut too soon, but his advice was to wait until the maize was nearly matured. They should leave the cutting until the grain had dented and the bottom leaves had ripen cd. The maize should be cut as low as possible, and it should be chaffed in balfineh lengths, then spread and tramped carefully so that the temperature might be kept at about 140. Once the silo had been opened 'he ensilage should be used every day, as it soon became mouldy. Ohlson said that 50 cubic feet of maize ensilage weighed about a ton, and as a cow needed from 501bs to SOlbs per day, the farmer could easily calculate what sized silo would suit his requirements. Two small silos were preferred to one large one, as a man could fill' one while emptying the other. He dealt at length upon the advantage . ensilage was to the small farmer, as it enabled him to have plenty of food summer and winter. lie considered that the results from ensilage-feeding were very satisfactory.