SOME FURTHER REMARKS ON ENSILAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1926, 15 January 1891, Page 6

SOME FURTHER REMARKS ON ENSILAGE.

Many of Mr Kains- Jackson's correspondents who had tried both silos and stacks expressed the decided oonviotion that silos below, partly below, or above the surface, have many advantages over stacks " even upon the ground of economy — upon which special grounds many inexperienced persons object to the silo. Silos are convenient, reliable, and allow a weight or pressure being applied cheaply and effectually. Half pressure in a silo appears to equal in results double the force required for making ensilage in stacks, and oommonly the waste in silos, is much less than in a stack." But the making of ensilage in stacks is often deservedly preferable under certain -conditions, such as sudden necessity from bad weather ; the distance of a crop from a built silo, and the advantages of placing a store of winter food for stock where it is most wanted. In the laet particular the experiences of the correspondents established on irrefragable evidence the success of ensilage stacks, made under the most unfavourable conditions of weather. "Nevertheless the same experiments have determined a vexed question, and tell the unwelcome fact that the waste round the outsides of stacks is considerable in moat cases." ' The paramount importance of pressure of forage in a Btaok was made clear, notwithstanding isolated instances of crops having been preserved without any further pressure than was given in building the mass by the treading of workmen, or by the passage of horses and carts over the staok. Wher© a silo exists, dead weights of simple earth, bricks, stones in boxes, railway iron, &0., are muoh in use with those who have employed them for years, who find them perfectly effectual, and who firmly believe that they are cheaper than most mechanioal methods ; but thelcase is 'different in stacking, whereas in the silo regulation of the pressure must be attended to, in order to control the temperature so that sweet ensilage may be produced. It is therefore generally considered that mechanical pressure for silage staoks is preferable to, and cheaper, because more readily adaptable than that from dead weights, Obviously the temperature of the stack during and after its formation is a primary consideration, as it has been ascertained > that added pressure reduces temperature. To ascertain the degree of heat existing in a stack, various devices have been adopted, such as pointed' rods for insersertion, with a thermometer attaohed. Messrs Vipon and Headly, of Leicester, have a good model with an augur sorew at the end. and Messrs Dolland, of London, have also introduced one at a very small cost (12s 6d), whilst ordinary gas piping with a thermometer enclosed may serve.

In their answers to questions in the circular the correspondents say:— "(1) Temperature was generally controlled, but was often very high, nearer 160deg than 120deg Fabr. .From divergent registers, however, the produot was nearly always fairly satisfactory. (2) In most cases correspondents expressed themselves decisively to the effeot that they found their crops effectually preserved so as to beoome good food for stock. The outside waste was, however, often considerable— 6in to 18in —but of the damaged bulk a large proportion was eatable when shaken out in the stockyards or meadows. (3) A large majority of those who tried to make ensilage in the wet summer of 1888 report that they intend to continue the practice in future." Mr Kama-Jackson summarises the reports placed at his disposal briefly as follows :— (1) The green crops of the country, taken at their best stage of growth, may be saved, independently of weather. This was known previously. But it is now proved that fodder, grass clover, tares, &c, when already damaged— half-spoiled — may be saved from further destruction, and beoome in a slack, under regulated pressure, useful stock food. (2) The costs of making enßilage are shown to be much the same as making hay in ordinary times. (8) The value of ensilage as food, compared with hay as food is considered so far equal that practical farmers find their stock thrive satisfactorily on either.

Silos. — For the purposes of inspection of the silos, ensilage stacks and their contents, and the award of the prizes offered in 1885 86, England and Wales were apportioned to three sets of judges, two gentlemen undertaking the duties in each subdivision— viz., the south-eastern, the south-western, and the northern. As the making of ensilage had been engaged in since 1887, considerable expense had been required { n the construction of silos, and the judges therefore gave cost and efficiency of those entered in the competition prominence, all details including cost of, and means of pressure adopted, with tho result as shown in the concontents of the silo. In notea appended to their report the judges say in reference to the coßt of silos : " Thiß will range between wide limits, according to their size, depth, and the

materials used in their construction, and to the price of labour. If the stones, bricks, concrete, wood, &0., can be transported with little labour to the site of the silo, the coat for a moderately large structure ought not to be muoh more than 10s per 50 cubic feet of capaoity," The variations in ooat will be found in the following tables :— TABLB I.— O9ST OF NKW SILOS.

It must be noted that the interiors of nearly all the silos built of brick or stone were cemented. The judges give the following description of Mr Heilier's silo, constructed with wood :— " The silo erected by Mr W. G. Helliec deserves speoial mention, inasmuch as it is the only absolutely wooden erection entirely built above ground, which we saw in the western district during our inspection. It is 24ffc long by 12ft wide and 10ft high, and Is built of deal, the- post being < let into the ground 2£ft deep. Each hole for the posts is 18in square, and filled up with a conorete made of gravel, brown lime, coalash, and sand. The foundation trench was also dug 18in deep; and this, too, was filled with the concrete. Three-quarter inch deals were nailed up on each side of the 7in by 3in uprights, and the space between was entirely filled up with sand. The roof is a portable one, made of quartering covered with two-ply Willesden paper. There is a door at one end of the silo which is double, the space between being filled with sand, and when the outer door is removed the space within is cleared before the inner door can be opened. Tho silo is filled at the top through a door or opening 7ft from the ground. The structure is a tolerably strong one, but the quantity of sand used— 2o tons— caused the Bides to bulge a little. Upon opening the silo the depth of silage was found to be 6ft, soarcely reaching to the top of the door ; one layer was of clover, and the other of grass. It was slightly spoiled at the Bides, and on cutting out the usual triangular seotion was found at the top. The silage was exceedingly good except the portions mentioned and a thin crust at the top. The weighting was obtained by means of bricks five high, equal to 1401b to the square foot, standing on boards fin by 7in." It may be here remarked that in nearly all the silos inspected the silage at the corners was mouldy or damaged, and thiß was also- the case in proximity to the walls, the faults being attributable to insufficient treading of the material in the first instance, and subsequently deficient or unequal pressure. It is necessary also to note that when possible advantage was taken to construct the Bilos in excavations in the sides of banks because of the facilities afforded in filling and emptying the structures, " The full carts of green forage are led up a slight incline, and can deposit their contents directly into the silo." As regards " Crops for Silage," the judges say : "If the Rothamstead experiments are to be the clover arop while in the silo suffers muoh less change and loss than meadow grass. But good silage can be made easily from meadow grass, ryegrass, trifolium, oats, vetches, &o. The crops, however, ought to be just before they are ripe, as at that period the nutrients of the fodder will be more equally distributed throughout the whole struoture of the plant." " Pressing the Silage."— The judges throughout their journeys were very much impressed with the economy and efficiency of pressing by dead weights — notably in those places where there was dry soil or sand to combine in itself the two points of successful pressing and an excellent covering to the silage. Blocks of concrete, or iron or bags of sand, &c, are also used with success, but these require planks or boards to equalise the pressure. Yet it was doubtful whether the surface equalisation of pressure was so well secured by these weights as by loose soil or sand. And, further, this board oovering was not nearly so efficient as the soil. It was surprising to see how the soil covering did not bring about any waste in the silage. The mechanical pressures were often laborious in their application and inefficient in their results. The best under control — similar to that used by Mr Morris — winner of first prize for silo and contents — waß that of Mr Wilson's, at Rigmanden Park. By skilful use of levers, the pressure was made to follow the shrinking of the fodder between the periodical pressings by means of a hydraulic jaok. Hence the importance of thoroughly treading the fodder, and especially of ramming it near the walls, where the atmosphere is most likely to force itself in, and to work the decomposition of the fodder by degrees. " The golden rule of silage making is to look to the consolidation of the Bides, and the centre will look after • itself."

In reference to the influences whioh operate towards the production of sweet and of sour

silage respectively the judges say » "The greater the depth (in silo), and the greater the moisture in the crop, other things being equal, toe greater will be the tendency to produce acid silage, .as these conditions would be unfavourable to the development of sufficient temperature to destroy the Ufa of germs of fermentß present in the fodder. That the great variety in the circumstances attending silage making may not tend to make the results obtained as to acidity unsatisfactory, we will give the oase of the oat crop ensiled by Mr Morris and that by Mr Brassey. tn M* Brassey's case the crop was chaffed, and the silage was found to contain '24 per cent, of acetic acid, and '79 per cent, of laotic aoid ; while Mr Morris' oat silage unchaffed gave no acetio aoid or laotic acid. It is therefore not unlikely that chaffing enables the ensilor to consolidate his fodder to a greater degree than otherwise, and so to reduce the quantity of air in the bulk of the fodder, and consequently the amount of oxidation with its accompanying elevation of temperature. Hence, if the conditions attending the crop in the silo, such as heavy pressure, large percentage of moisture, &c,, be unfavourable to the development of rapid temperature, the tendenoy will be to pro* duoe acid silage." Mr Fry, who was uniformly successful in making sweet silage, and who has given in detail his practices and experiences in a pamphlet on the subject, states that the principle of making sweet silage is to let the temperature rise as rapidly as possible to 122deg Fabr. at least, any excessive heat to be controlled by added pressure. Decidedly, in making the awards in 1886 the judges gave emphatic preference to sweet silage, but in this connection it is Well to note that writing in the society's journal three years subsequently (April 1889) Mr Kains-Jackson quotes the late Dr Yoelcker's advice to farmers, "not to place too muoh importance upon the matter of 'making ensilage sou* ot sweet. .This mast be made altogether subservient to the general circumstances of the oase ; " and he adds, from information furnished by his correspondents, " It has been found a tiresome matter— where the candle costs more than the game is worth — to watch, wait', test, and control the temperature. Good ensilage is of a neutral character, neither sour nor sweet to any extent. In large silos, as in large staoks, are strata of sweet and sour, both good, as is the oase in the large Bilos of Visot. Arthur de Ohezelles, where the practice is to go on filling as opportunity suits. Probably the trouble of making ensilage is trebled the moment special ends are sought. The waiting intervals for the temperature to get a certain height are almost as vexatious and costly in loss of time as waiting for the sun to shine in showery or rainy weather to make hay." The advantages of the ensilage system as presented during the inspections of silos and stacks (1885-86) are thus commented on by the judges : — " The object of farming generally is to obtain the largest amount of digestible nutriments at the leaßt cost, and also the least injury to the soil, There can be no doubt as to the economy of silage-making in localities where it is difficult or risky to make hay, or where good crops of roots cannot be grown regularly. But in other localities, where good hay and roots can be secured, it is doubtful if this process will supplant the root crop, which enables the farmer to keep his land clean, and therefore in good condition to grow large crops of corn and 'seed.' The chief advantage of silage-making against hay-making is its comparative independence of the weather; that the fodder is bandied while green, without any risk of the tender and nutritious leaves being lost on the ground as in hay-making ; that the resulting silage is sucoulent and palatable ; and that on purely grazing farms it is now possible to obtain a portion of the grasß orop for winter use in Buch a state as to equal the effect of summer-fed graas for the purposes of the dairy."

Name. Materials Used In Construction. Total capaoity Cubic Feet. Cost per 50 Cubic Feet. Morris ... Eirby Brassey ... Stones, brick off eßtate-M.P.* ... Conor ete walls. slate roof — D.W I Concrete walls, iron roof — M.P. and D.W.... Stones, slate roof— M.P. ... Bricks, cement, iron lid-M.P. Wood-D.W. 7,020t 23,750 11,050 j £ s. d. 0 14 9 0 9 0 1 15 0 Collingwood 15,550 0 14 0 Howard 18 0 0 10 0 Earle 2,450 1,850 5 10 9 Average £0 18 6

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