SILACE MAKING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 70, 16 December 1907, Page 3

SILACE MAKING.

NEW ZEALAiND METHODS APPROVED. From New Zealand, s&ys " Hoard's Dairyman," the source of many new and novel ideas at the present time, wo glean the following information, as written by Mr. 11. W. Potts, of Hawksbury College. During the past winter we had much to say ■ regarding making silage without a silo, and wo called attention to a method in use in Freeborn county, Minnesota, pf stacking corn fodder and afterwards compressing tho stack until all air was excluded, and thus securiii- nil the conditions of the silo. This method of making silage was quite successful, and is, being used in many localities during the present season. The New Zealand experiment was carried out with sorghum instead of corn fodder, and this is where the new idea comes in. Tho abundant yields of sorghum in-this ter- . ntory. would suggest that our farmers might profitably employ this method of stack silage with sorghum on many farms where n silo is not at the present time available. ,In tho New Zealand experiment the stack . was not weighted down or compressed by any mechanical moans,- but was merely stacked carefully by hand, and packed in such a way that, as- much air as possible was shut out by the mere method of stacking. Each layer was evenly laid and tho weight distributed, so that when the stack shrunk,/ it would : ,still maintain its shapo. The main point observed was to keep out the air and to obstruct its ingress during the curing stage. The sorghum was ent at the tinio..when the paniclo was full of well coloured and. completely formed seeds. Tho roof of tho stack was so formed as to exclude rain' and keep intact, as well as to resist the wind. No .special covering was made. The sheaves of sorghum wore laid transvorselyj and when the ridge was reached the . whole was kept in position by the ordinary use of wires and posts for-.weights. As tho stack settled it became, stationary and a solid mass: -Careful estimates were made of the volume of the stack, and shrinkage. It was estimated that about 141 tons of silage was made, allowing 40 pounds per cubic foot. The stack was opened in January. The waste was about 18in. all around the sides of the stack, 12in. at the top and 6in. at the bottom. The available silage . was about 109J ..tons. * Good results were noted from feeding to cows and the milk flow was fully maintained. The ration used was 40 pounds of silage,' 15 pounds of alfalfa hay. Using a silo was considered preferable to stacking, but, of course, the latter is sometimos a cheap way out. It was found more economical to use largo stacks than email ones, as the waste was not so great.