WHAT A SILO MEANS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume L, Issue 2650, 8 December 1919, Page 2

WHAT A SILO MEANS.

I (Uy William Russell, a Director of the Downs Co-operative Dairy Co.) I regard it as a compliment to be asked by the editor of the "Review" to speak to my fellow-farmers of Southern Queensland on the matter of stack and pit silos. Jn the first place I would like to emphasise that corn, which is now going off all over the Downs owing to the dry spell (this is written in j •January), makes first-class ensilage, ■ and is quite sa.fe to put into a stack silo. The corn must bo put in straight j and built even all over, and can be j weighted down every night with old posts (every farm generally lias a j number of thosa lying about). When the silo is completed, place logs on ; the outside, with wires affixed to the ! logs across the stack, put vour earth i on (op of slack, and .the logs will | hold the earth together. Hoots of l couch grass or water couch placed j on tiie earth will bind the covering j and prevent heavy rain from washI ing the earth away. ! A silo is a gold-mine, as a farmer j discovers when a drought grips the j land. Any stock will eat ensilage, i and thrive on it. but do not give it : to stock by itself. If you have dry i ii'o<\ i.n the paddock, all the better — ■ you will have very rich cream, and | your cows will become hard and firm in body and milk. If you have no ; dry h>oi\ give \h-> cow a small ration | of Income or who iton hay. Make it ' a hard and fast rule to feed at the j one time and milk at the one time — j the observance of this ride is necesj sary if one is to make a successful | dairy farmer. i Does the average farmer realise | that a silo means a uniform output I from the churn or cream vat and a nice little side income from calves, I pigs, fowls, etc.? In times of plenty, too many farmers give no thought to the morrow, and the results of such an improvident course were seen on I the Downs during the 19.13-1916 drought.

A silo moans a good fat bucket of milk and cream, and a. bigger cheque at the end of the month. Isn't it demonstrably true that the man who succeeds in dairying is the man who gives good fvc(] to good cows ? Without a silo you cannot be sure of always having ford for your herd. Feed the cows early after milking : have only the number you can look after ; and the silo will do the rest.