8 Oct., 1907-] 



Silage Xotes. 



623 



(in. Support.s, such as blocks of redgum, bricks, (!<:(\ , should be put under 

 centre stud in each bay, a-nd it is as well to put such supports under every 

 stud except those, of course, bolted to the foundation posts. To guard 

 against risk from exceptionally heavy winds, a Xo. 8 black wire mav be 

 run over each slope of roof above bottom jnu-lin, and fastened on to a 

 convenient hoop. It is advisable, also, to stay the whole silo with three 

 or four guys made uf twisted No. 8 wire, taken well out from the silo, so 

 as not to be in the road when carting in. These stavs are of most service 

 when the silo is empty. 



To raise the height of an existing silo, the new studs should be halved 

 for a length of al)out 2 feet, and bolted on to the existing studs on their 

 edge, so that they show the narrow instead of the flat face to the iron. 

 They should be bolted with two 4 by | inch bolts. This will allow of 

 boring and fixing the new studs without removing anything except the roof. 

 The hoops close to the ground must not be covered with earth ; they are 

 an essential portion of the structure, and should not be weakened by rot 

 or white ants. The floor may be the earth levelled off, or a concrete floor 

 mav be put in as described in the July number of the Journal. 



A .SILO IX THE MALLEE. 



SILAGE NOTES. 



A New Source of Material. 



.4. .S'. Keny. 



C./i., lii/i^iiiccr for Ai^^riciiltiirc. 



There are many sources of material for the making of silage. Thistles, 

 grasses, and weeds of all sorts are well known as silage makers, but the 

 swamp reed, Arundo phragmites, has not up to the present been utilized. 

 The greener portion of the reed, which grows all over the State, in 

 lagoons, billabongs, and swamps, has always been known to attract 

 anmials, but it was not generally considered a valuable fodder. Last 

 year a sample of the whole reed taken from Launching Place, Upper 

 Yarra, was analyzed, and gave most surprising results. The following 

 are the figures compared with those of a typical maize. It must be borne 

 in mind that the quantities given are gross, their nutritive values being 

 considerably less. 



Per Cent. 



Krhci- 

 Ash or l-',\trart 



Jlinenil. nr F:il. 



2.2 ... 1.2 



. 1.6 ... .9 ... 2.2 ... 6.5 



Carl)o-nyf] rates. 



Nitroffen 

 Protein. Crude fil)re. Free Kxtraot. 

 3.0 ... 15.3 ... 18.6 



