686 Journal of Agriculture. [lo Nov., 1909. 



centre high. If the material has been harvested with a binder, cut the 

 bands of the sheaves and spread them ; then cross them in alternate layers 

 of 6 inches deep. It is often advisable to put up posts to prevent the stack 

 slipping. Weight with logs hung on wires across the stack each night 

 and remove them in the morning. Sprinkle salt through the stack as it 

 is being built. Finish off the stack in a suitable shape to resist the 

 weather. Weight with logs hanging from wires passed across the top of 

 .^tack. As the shrinkage will be considerable it is necessary to shorten 

 these wires every day until the stack finally consolidates. The total weight 

 need not be great, but as much as can be conveniently hung on the wires. 

 Do not build near any buildings, hav or straw stacks, as there is some 

 slight danger of spontaneous combustion. A stack built like this will keep 

 in good condition for a very long time, and is much cheaper to build than 

 to purchase fresh stock after the ravages of a drought. 



Another convenient plan for making stack silage is to set up a circle 

 of saplings to keep the outside of the stack upright. This may be kept 

 from spreading by running a double circle of fencing wire around them at 

 intervals of everv 3 or 4 feet. If the stack is located under a tree, with 

 a suitable branch 25 feet from the ground, a pulley can be attached to this 

 and used to hoist up the last of the fodder. In this case the stack may 

 iDe weighted with earth, hoisted up in the same way in an old oil drum or 

 bag. 



DAIRY HERD COMPETITION. 



Report on First Prize Herd in Competition in DandjEnong 

 Electorate for Prize pre.sented by Mr. W. S. Keast, M.L.A. 



Geo. McKenzic , Dairy Supervisor. 



Attached are the compiled records of Mr. George ^NlcLellan's dairy 

 herd at Lyndhurst. 



Out of 47 cows included in the sheets only fifteen were milked 

 throughout the whole period of the test, viz., from ist September, 1908, 

 to 28th February, 1909. These yielded a total of 7,022.8 gallons, 

 averaging 468.1 gallons per cow for period, or 2.58 gallons per cow per 

 day. The highest individual yield for cow milked during the whole period 

 was 605.8 gallons or 3.34 gallons per day, and the lowest 374-2 gallons 

 or an average of 2.06 per day. 



Nineteen cows came in at various dates during period the records were 

 kept and remained until they were discontinued (28th February). Records 

 of these were kept for periods varying from 172 days to fifteen days. The 

 best of these was No. 6, Table A, with a total yie>ld for 106 days of 

 486.0 gallons, averaging 4.58 gallons per day. Two others (Nos. 22 and 

 23) for a period of 92 days yielded 384.0 and 383.9 gallons respectively 

 averaging 4.17 gallons per day. The remaining thirteen cows had been 

 milked for various periods prior to records being kept, and these were 

 dried off from time to time and replaced by cows mentioned above. 

 Table C gives records of these cows which w^ere practically strippers. No 

 butter fat tests were taken. 



