ENSILAGE COMPETITION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19123, 18 September 1936, Page 9

ENSILAGE COMPETITION

COASTAL FARMERS LEAD FIRST SEVEN PLACES WIN FOR J. B. DEWES The ensilage competition for Gisborne and Coast farmers resulted in those on the Coast filling the most important positions. A Kuatoria farmer, Mr. .). B. Dewes, was the winner, and Coast men also filled the next six positions on the list-;. In fact, only four Gisborne farmers are mentioned in the first 10.

There were 26 entries in the competition, including four from Maoris. A separate Maori competition was conducted last year, but in view of the: small Maori entries this time, all were' grouped in the one judging. The placings were:— J. B. Dewes, Ruatoria, 117 points .. I G. T. Harris, Tokomaru Bay, and A. L. Kemp, Ruatoria, equal, 112 points .. .. • • 2Boy Walker, Tikitiki, and H. W. Thatcher, Ruatoria, equal, 111 points .. .. • - .. 4 Niha Pei, Ruatoria, 104 points .. 6 M. W. Halliwell, Whakaangiangi, and G. Sefton, Puha, equal, 102 points .. -. • • 7 F. H. Robb, Te Arai, 99 points .. 9 N. S. Thomas, Tolaga Bay, and and F. W. Shelton, Tolaga Bay, equal, 98 points .. r.y .. 10 J. Dover, Makarika, and T. Sewell, - Patutahi, equal 97 points .. 12 M. O’Sullivan, Ruatoria, and R. ” Knight, Repongaere, equal, 94 :■ points .. .. .. .. 14

The maximum points were 120-.-

JUDGE’S COMMENTS —-

Tlie judge was Mr. E. M. Bates, instructor in agriculture at Gisboi'Ue, and in his report he states: ’'VgfH “While the general standard of entries in the Wairoa competition—recently, published in the Herald—was higher' than in the Gisborne competition, this; is probably due not only to a more general knowledge of silage making, but also to a wider suitability of .spjj adopted for excellent trench and pit silage, and the greater dependents placed on this fodder for both winti# and summer feeding on the dairy fa mug Much credit is due to the Wairoa DairyCompany also, -as it has done everything possible to promote a more general u&e of silage in the interests of increase® milk production. “In the Gisborhe district in the past,, there has been considerable apathy r<£ garding ensilage, probably due to little experience of good material, and agaifl the best entries were from the Coast, 11 out of the first 15 placed competitors being from the Coast. The dairy con# panies have helped by forwarding circulars per medium of the cream cans, g “Prospects look brighter now that tire A. and P. Association is interesting itself in the competition from nekt season, and is having ensilage classes afjl its annual show this season. Donations towards a cup for ensilage have been promised by the local dairy companies. ;;3;S ''

“In judging entries, constructive criticism was made as much as possible at the time of the visit, and im publishingthe results due regard is observed not to draw attention to the poorer entriesConsequently, only the first 15 - competitors are mentioned, and most of these are in the Coast district, district entries being generally-, poorer» Certificates of merit for the first three" placings are being issued by the Depart-" ment of Agriculture.”