SILAGE MAKING

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 12 September 1930, Page 9

SILAGE MAKING

UTILISING EXCESS GROWTH

DEPARTMENTAL ADVICE

The subject of ensilage making, with which is bound up that of pasture management, was dealt with lucidly and in most useful style by Mr J. AI. Smith, of the Department of Agriculture, last night at Alangatoki before a fairly numerous gathering of settlers from all round the district. All followed very closely the remarks of the lecturer and lantern slides shown by Air J. W. Palmer, and during _ the evening sought more detailed information by a number of questions which were conclusively dealt with by Air Smith. “The aim of the farmer should be,’ said the speaker, “to develop an ideal pasture by sowing, manuring and so grazing that he has in his paddocks a sward of grass that will be as far as possible growing all the year round, avoiding as far as possible the bad results of the flush by mailing the excess grass into ensilage and cleaning up the oaddocks by a rotation of grazing.”" If this was not done it would he found that the cows would go back and the returns would be lessened and, he said, in this ensilage would play a large part by conserving the extra growth which was far better than having “standing hay.” He showed by a graph the surplus grass from October to January and the deciency during tlie rest of the season, and said the aim should be to use the former and cut out the latter.

Air Smith stressed the need of good material to get the best ensilage and said this would be reflected in the benefits secured to the stock. The surplus grass made into ensilage provided good fodder for the daily- stock and cleaned up the dirty parts of the farm. The surplus coming from top-dressing must be used or the manuring would! not he doing any good. Referring to root crops, Air Smith emphasised the labour, expense and time necessary in cultivating them, and said that it was not certain whether a farmer could do without them unless perhaps he milked a few cows less, but that some farmers had cut them out and in this w-ay the danger of noxious weeds was lessened.

A graph showed the best material for ensilage, surplus grass and lucerne (second out) heading the list and being followed by oats and wheat, each with tares and with peas, * ryegrassand clover, millet and maize. The cutting of the crop at the right time, he said, was the secret of good material, and in nearly every case he had found the cutting was too late. Early cutting would reduce the strain on soil fertility and, though there would be a little .loss in yield, the quality would be improved. He showed a graph strikingly demonstrating the teed value of the early cut material. “Cut early,” he added, “and ensure good secondary spring growth. It will also help to deal with the grass grub if it appears, because the grub lays its eggs in roughage and long grass, and there would be no cover for t-liem.”

Referring to the building of the stack and pit, Mr Smith -said that the round stack had been proved the best and had less waste if well made andwas easier to build. But, he -said, experience would teach the best methods. The speaker -referred to the making of pits and the need for picking the best position that would give easy access for putting in material and easy exit for taking it away. He -stressed the value of slightly green and sour silage, which was closest to the raw material and said that the cows were the best judges of silage and to watch them when it was put out. Mr Smith gave useful hints on the building on the lines of his previous addresses and urged the need of an even temperature about 100 degrees Falir. He gave a warning to guai-d! against the bad effects of a cold wind and said that experience also would teach the best method in this direction. He also advised that the best mehods of feeding out was to ensure fresh stuff for the herd every day and not allow it to get dry. Slides were shown illustrating the most modern concrete silo, in which there should be no waste at all if the making was good, but it was stated that farmers needed to he as careful in putting in the material as in the stack or pit, and the value and the advantage of having a good roof to the -silo was also stressed.

Experience, said Mr Smith, in conclusion, proved that -silage helped cows at calving' time and that there was very little trouble then if the ration was well balanced. A: welcome was- given to Messrs Smith and Palmer at the opening of the evening and a hearty vote of thanks carried hv acclamation at the conclusion of the address.