148 Oat and Tare Silage 



miued on a smaller ration tliau was previously designed. Reference will 

 be made to this point again at a later stage. 



It was thus possible, by avoiding basal rations, to measure the 

 digestibiUty of the silage directly on a much larger quantity of material 

 than could possibly have been fed in an indirect method of determination, 

 and, moreover, the conditions obtaining throughout the whole trial were 

 thus made comparable. 



The green oats and tares period began on .Tune IG. 1921. Samples 

 of about 25 lbs. were cut from the plot daily by means of a sickle and 

 were passed through the chaffing machine before being fed to the sheep. 

 During the few hours over which it was necessary to store the material, 

 it was spread out in a thin layer on a concrete floor to prevent " heating," 

 which occurred fairly readily when the cut fodder was kept in bulk in 

 bags. The .samples for analysis were taken at the .same time as the rations 

 for the whole day were weighed out. Moisture determinations were 

 carried out on the representative .samples every two days during the 

 analytical period, the dry matter from such determinations being 

 utihsed in the making up of the period composite sample. The gradual 

 increase of dry matter in the maturing crop is illustrated by the following 

 figures obtained during the fourteen days' experimental period : 



Days 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12 13-14 



Dry matter, % 2900 30-95 33-69 32-55 33-23 33-55 34-32 



As the approach of the crop to maturity was probably accompanied 

 by a gradual diminution in the digestibihty of the forage, it was necessary, 

 in order to secure a fair comparison with the hay and silage, that the 

 parts of the plot reserved for the liay and silage should be cut halfway 

 through the green oats and tares period. This was accordingly done and 

 the material to be converted into silage was carted without delay, passed 

 through the usual cutting machine and then packed tightly into a small 

 experimental silo reserved for this purpose. Further particulars will be 

 given when the details of the silage period are discus.sed ; it is sufficient 

 to note here that all the conditions for making the silage were .satis- 

 factory and material of an excellent quaUty was obtained when the silo 

 was opened at a later date. The making of the hay was not attended with 

 similar good fortune. The first two days during which the forage was 

 drying in the field were beautifully fine and sunny, but a sudden thunder- 

 storm shortly before the time for carting rendered the sample quite unfit 

 for use in a comparative trial with the silage. It was therefore necessary 

 to use another sample of oat and tare hay which had been carted before 



