SII.u.S AM) sll.M.K. 757 



If the pit were larger, only a portion may ft required, and bhe pit then 

 remains open. Tin* does not lead to a great amount <>t' loss, but al the same 

 time it is more satisfactory t<> use the pit right out. 



Preferahly the pits should be made in pairs, as each can be filled« alter- 

 nately, and opportunities allowed for the settling of the material. A pit 

 about 60 feel \ 21 feet \ 9 feet deep will hold about 100 tons. The whole 



of the excavation is done with the plough ami SCOOp. A careful man can 

 make the sides almost perpendicular. The ends are left with the hatter, and 

 the steeper the batter the better. 



Filling. 



Cutting with the reaper and binder is the most economical method, as 

 the sheaves are easier to handle than loose stuff. This makes up for the 

 enst of the twine. A team of about six men is required, one to drive the 

 hinder (this man can help with the waggons when he has cut enough crop for 

 the day's work), four men with two waggons, and one man in the pit. If 

 waggons are not available, slides can he used for bringing in the material. 

 These are very handy, as one man can load a slide and bring in a lot of stuff 

 in a day. In tilling the pit the sheaves are laid lengthways. Cutting the 

 twine on the sheaves allows the material to settle evenly. It is preferable 

 to remove the twine, as it may cause trouble amongst the stock when the 

 silage is being fed. The pit is tilled up practically to the ground level, and 

 the waggons are then drawn into the pit and over the material when 

 unloading. This helps to compress it. Some men, when making silage, 

 take the waggons or drays in from the commencement and tip the loads or 

 puil them off with ropes. 



When the pit has been filled up to the ground level, or a little above, the 

 material must be allowed to settle for a couple of days. The advantage 

 of working two pits comes in here, as one may be settling whilst the other 

 is being filled. In a couple of days the material will settle considerably. 

 Work should then be resumed and the material built up until it is about 

 4 feet above the surface, keeping the stack fairly square. A further period 

 of settling should be allowed, and when this has taken place the filling may 

 be continued. Careful note should be taken of how the pit settles, as this 

 gives a good indication as to when it will be safe to stop. When it is 

 considered that the bottom has settled thoroughly it should be again built 

 to a height of ahout 4 feet. Allowing periods for settling, and spreading 

 the work over about a fortnight, the pit is so filled that when covered it will 

 not settle below the land surface level. Even wdien allowing for plenty of 

 settling, and leaving a stack of ahout 4 feet, the material will, after a few 

 months, sink down until only a slight mound is left. It is very important 

 to get the pit well filled, otherwise after a few weeks the site of the pit will 

 be marked by a deep depression. Thus, not only is the use of some of the 

 storage capacity of the pit lost, but water will run into it. This is unwise, 

 although rain does not injure the silage, and even very heavy falls during 

 the process of making causes no damage. A well-filled pit, a few weeks after 

 tilling, will show just as a small mound. It must be remembered that even 

 when pressed in as tightly as possible the material is, comparatively speaking, 

 very loosely packed. The heat generated softens the stems, and the enor- 

 mous pressure of the greenstuff above and the covering of earth presses it 

 together until finally it becomes almost as solid as a plug of tobacco. 



