Ensilage. TO THE EDITOR,

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 23

Ensilage. TO THE EDITOR,

Dear Drover,— -In. yoiu- "Stock and Station Notes" of the 27th inst. you invite any practical farmer to say why ensilage is unsuitable or xmprofitable in Southland, and why it is not more generally used. I cannot ckim to have had very much ex-< T>erience in the use of ensilage, but Lmade a, stack out of Canadian thistles this year m a very rough and ready way, simply stacking high several times, and trusting to the weight of the upper portion giving the necessary presfeure to exclude the air from wha/t was below, and so far as the -ensilage being palatable and eaten by the stock with relish was concerned, at was successful, and the cattle would, run from all parts of the paddock on hearing the rattle of the dray. I can, however, understand why it nas not %&eu more generally used. It is more ex-

pensive to feed than turnips and straw, as you camnot turn stock in to eat thd stack, which -must be cut out in blocks and given to the animals. I have no figures by which to compare i'ne feeding valtte of ensilage with swedes, but I have carefully noted the cost of simply jutting the thistles together and afterwards carting to stock, and it considerably exceeds the cost of turnips, with, say, a crop of 30 tons per acre. My stabled horses eat the thistle ensilage freely, and with no ill-effects. I am aware that my letter does not deal ■with the making of ensilage from recognised fodder crops, and only with an isolated experiment with what may be termed a waste product ; also that it is simply a comparison with our usual winter, food; but the objection of expense in handling will probably apply m other cases. — I am, etc., Phiijp A. Vyneb. Woodside, Ryal Bush, September 30.