Oct. 2, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S. W. 825 



A Plea for Silage in the West. 



C. C. BRADLY, 



Mungeribar, Nairomine. 



One of the greatest difficulties against which this State lias to contend, in her 

 efforts to obtain for her pidflucts a favourable footing in the world's markets, 

 is her inability to maintain a regular and continuous supply. 



Just as we have struggled intt) a position to command attention, a disastrous 

 drought will decimate flocks and herds, supplies will shorten, export becomes 

 out of the question, and in severe visitations our stock become so reduced 

 that a considei'able time elapses before we are again in a position to compete 



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Crop of Sorghum being cut for Silage. 



for the favour of foreign mai-kets. In the meantime, of course, our rivals have 

 been making the best use of their time, and we find ourselves shouldered out. 

 It is indeed most unfortunate that a country like ours, in many respects the 

 most favoured on earth, whose pastures are of such superlative excellence, 

 and whose climate so mild, that over vast stretches stock may be depastured 

 at large and brought to the pink of condition throughout the whole year, 

 should be subject to these disastrous visitations. However, we cainiot alter 

 the natural conditions of the land, and in the natural order of things it is 

 quite apparent that we shall always be more or less subject to drouglits. It 

 behoves us then to cast about foi- a practical method of mitigating their dire- 

 ful influence. Modern methods and practices suggest in the first place two 

 palliatives : Irrigation, and consei'vaticm of fodder in good times to tide us 

 over the bad. Irrigation as yet we know practically nothing of, except 



