Journal of Agriculture. [lo Dec, 1908. 



chaff to escape. The elevators supplied by the Department are built 

 to carry the material up the bottom floor, but can be worked to carry 

 on either top or bottom floor. 



A shute inside the silo will be found of great advantage because 

 it will keep the heavy and light stuff together and so help to produce a 

 more uniform sample. Bv means of the shute the material can be made 

 to fall where required, so making the spreading and trampling easier and 

 more comfortable for the man or men inside. Bricks or short lengths of 

 wood will be found to be the most handy material to weight the silo with, 

 as they can be taken up by the elevator when driven slowly after all the 

 material is in and the silo capped with 12 inches of damp straw chaff 

 or cavings. The material during filling cannot receive too much trampling,, 

 especially around the iron. 



Reports by Farmers. 



The following are extracts from reports on silos built by the Depart- 

 ment. Thev will be of interest because they come from practical men 

 who have realised the value of saving green fodder for the months of 

 scarcity. 



Mr. Thomas Mason of Warrenheip writes: 



My silage was made from a mixed crop of wheat and oats. I cut the stuff 

 with a mower and carted it straight into the silo, spread it thinly over the silo 

 and trod it well. I think we filled it up about 7 or 8 times before it thoroughly 

 set. I put 7 acres of crop in the silo, but none of it was chaffed ;' about 2 feet 

 on the top was mouldy. I used no weights but let it settle down and put about 

 a ton of straw chaff on top and made it wet and trampled it tight. After the top 

 2 feet it began to get better, but the cows ate it all. There was about a foot 

 around the sides a little mouldy but they ate every bit. I am going to chaff 

 every bit next time as I believe it will be better chaffed. If I had the means 

 I would have another erected at once. I believe that it would be better if we 

 could weight the silage as I find that the bottom is far the best. I shall try and 

 devise some, means of weighting this year. I find that my 25 cows will eat two- 

 silos empty from March till October and not get too much. Our silo holds 60 tons. 



The Department strongly condemns fllUng the &\\o without first 

 chaffing the material, the reason being that by chaffing the material can 

 be packed more tightly thus excluding air and saving food value. Also, 

 the material is more economically hnndled when feeding; Mr. Mason'.s. 

 experience agrees with this. 



Mr. T. iNIalone of Corop gives his experience : 



Re silo. I was satisfied about it, but unfortunately the season came so bad 

 that I had to feed out the silage before it was matured. It was just getting good 

 as it ran out. I consider I had about 80 tons and expect to erect another silo before 

 long. I managed to keep all my stock in fair order but we are having a bad 

 time at present. Thev don't take too kindly to straw stacks after having eaten 

 up the silage. 



Mr. J. R. Mathieson of Drouin writing in Jun.e. says: 



At jjresent we are milking 20 cows. Our 80-ton silo was filled by the beginning 

 of March with maize taken' from 4 to 45 acres to fill it. We are now feeding 

 20 cows at the rate of 4 kerosene tins per cow per day. Fresh-in cows get a little 

 bran mixed with it. The results are beyond expectations. Our cows received a 

 check before the silo was started but on taking to the silage they came back to 

 their milk and put on condition, looking sleek and well f ed _ in the roughest of 

 weather. I may mention that all milkers are rugged. Fresh-in cows are making 

 up to 12 lbs. of butter per week, which proves the value of ensilage as fodder 

 for dairy cattle. We are so delighted with the results that we are ordering a 

 second one to be put up this year. We are satisfied that it is the only way to 

 conserve fodder for any length of time. There are two points which we would 

 like to impress on any one filling a silo for the first time ; rst, that it cannot 

 receive too much trampling, 2nd, that the chaffed maize on falling, into the silo 

 wants to be well mixed as the heavy stalks are inclined to fall strai!7ht down 

 m one spot and the lighter stuff in the shape of leaves, &c., elsewhere. We would 



