ENSILAGE-MAKING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 305, 9 December 1931, Page 11

ENSILAGE-MAKING

RECORD SEASON IN WAIKATO. INCREASING POPULARITY. One of the worst winters experienced in the Waikato for many years, followed by an equally unfavourable spring, was fortunately largely counteracted by extraordinary heavy rains in November. The resultant heavy growth throughout the district has been ideal for ensilage and hay-making (states the Waikato “Times.”) The increasing popularity of ensilage as a recongised winter fodder has been strikingly evidenced throughout the Waikato this season. The November rains which broke a comparatively dry spell, proved of inestimable value to the production of the district and had the effect also of bringing on an excellent aftergrowth following the cutting of the pastures for ensilage. This is of importance in that the Government manurial trials conducted by the Department at Marton have shown that superphosphate treatment of pastures in the summer months has been productive of better results than when the paddocks are similarly treated at any other time of the year. The last two years have seen an enormous development in ensilage making. Favourable conditions therefore have resulted in early ensilage activity, and in this direction record provision has been made for winter feeding. The value of ensilage is reflected also in the better control of pastures. In the flush of the season trouble in the efficient control of pastures is experienced, and this is overcome by the utilisation of the heavy secondary growth as ensilage.