ENSILAGE FOR STOCK

North Otago Times, 3 November 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

ENSILAGE FOR STOCK

A euccessful eiperiment in making etack-ensilage has enabled Mr C. M'Kay, of Waroona, to generously feed his dairy herd of thirteen hoad right through the, winter. Last autumn lie cut three acres of sorghum, yielding fifteen tons of green stuff, and stacked same under weights, The 6tack was kept in shape by the simplo method of making a frame of hardwood to prevent the stuff from spreading, Early in May a first cutting was made from it and ™ found to be good, sweet ensilage, which, when chaffed, was eagerly eaten by the cows. In colour and fibre-it resembled tobacco leaf undergoing sweating, arid it gave off a very pleasant and aromatic odour, The chaff was mixed with half its bulk of eovghum hay, a sprinkling of bran being added. The milk supply was kept well up to the average. Mr M'Kay states that in making ensilage it is necessary to watch that the top pressure shall be allowed to fall freely and follow the shrinkage and solidifying of the 6tack,tho heads of the plants .being laid towards the centre, thus making the sides n triflo higher than the centre, which will so feel the pressure that all air is excluded. "I could not," save Mr M'Kay, "continue dairying through tho winter if it were not for my ensilage stack." Considering the small .mount of labour required, it is ut wonder that more farmers do not follow Mr M'Kay's example,—"Qiycnslander."