ENSILAGE.

Northern Advocate, 3 September 1919, Page 4

ENSILAGE.

Ensilage is daily becoming mor« popular .with dairy farmers, although so many of them appear to still cling to the idea that it is very difficult to prepare a stack and that costly plant is required for the process. But two important facts have been demonstrated in Taranaki, and these two facts should be recognised by every dairy farmer who desires to farm to the best advantage. The one is that; a first-class ensilage stack can be built out in any paddock in the most simple and inexpensive manner, and the other is that dairy cows, especially springing cows, do particularly well on it. Of course if one can afford to put in a concrete silo, a chaffing and elevating plant, etc., such as Mr Batten at Inaha has just erected, it is probable that the very best possiblequality of ensilage will be made, but for all practical purposes this is not an essential. Last week Mr Emil Meuli, of Okaiawa, who for some years past has very successfully built silo stacks in the open paddock, exhibited this year's stack to Mr J. W. Deem, Agricultural Supervisor, and other officers of the Department. It was opened in sections to show the quality of the ensilage from top to bottom of the stack, around the edges, and in the centre. It might here be mentioned that 20 acres of rye and clover were used; that the completed stack was approximately 35ft x 19ft, and 15ft to 16ft high, which finally settled down to a mean average of about 8 feet. Four Deering sweeps were used to bring in the rye and clover, woiking fairly close up to the mowing machine, and a Deering stacker placed it on the stack. About 6cwt of salt was put in, but Mr Meuli says he would probably have used twice as much had it been available at the time. The work occupied about four days of 6 i to 7 hours each, and a day to cover it with earth to a depth of about 18 inches. The ensilage is of excellent quality throughout with practically no waste around the edges; eight inches at the most would cover any possible waste in that respect. Needless to say, it is keenly relished by the stock, and apparently they do excellently on it. Mr MeuH took the party to a paddock in which he had his springing cows and heifers, and to which for the past month he had been feeding a waggon load of ensilage daily. The paddock was bare of grass, but the animals were in fine fettle, and nothing , : but the ensilage was fed to them. Mr MeuH is so satisfied with the results h e has obtained from his silage that he says he would not bother with dairying if he had to be without it.