75t> THE farmers' handbook. 



Covering. 



After the final filling it is advisable to allow the material to settle for two 

 or three days. This reduces the height and renders covering easier. If the 

 rate of settling is very slow, it may bs taken for granted that the pit h-is 

 been well filled. If there is any doubt the work of covering may be left for 

 a week. The delay will not result in any appreciable loss, and will show 

 whether further filling is required. 



The work of covering is done with a scoop. At Coonamble Experiment 

 Farm earth is scooped straight on to the top of the greenstuff and practically 

 no loss of material occurs. Pits which have been emptied have oidy shown 

 about 2 inches of loss at the surface. A covering of about 9 inches or a foot 

 of earth is required. It is quite unnecessary to use a deeper layer, as it does 

 not protect the silage any better and means a greater expense in covering 

 and in removing the soil later. 



It will be noted that nothing has been said in regard to noting the temper- 

 ature of the material as the pit is being filled. It has not been mentioned 

 because we do not find it necessary. It can be taken as a certainty that if 

 the crop is cut at the stage indicated and put straight into the pit the result 

 will be satisfactory, and there is no more need to take the temperature than 

 there would be when building a haystack. 



At the same time a man who is making silage for the first time is naturally 

 anxious to know how things are going in the pit, and for his own satisfaction 

 he may like to be able to take the temperature. It can easily be done by 

 placing a gas or water pipe upright in the centre of the pit to project above 

 the surface, and whenever it is desired to take the temperature the ther- 

 mometer may be lowered into the pipe. 



Cost of Excavation. 



In all, four pits, with an aggregate capacity of about 550 tons, have been 

 made on the Coonamble Experiment Farm. Two were excavated in 1913, 

 and during the following year. 



Accurate records of the time taken and wages paid were kept. One 

 man was paid 10s. and one 8s. per day of eight hours, four horses were used, 

 each valued at 2s. per day. In estimating the present-day cost of excavating 

 a pit the necessary adjustments in connection with the increase of wages 

 can be made. 



In 1913, two pits, with a total capacity of about 500 cubic yards, giving 

 holding capacity of 250 tons, were excavated. 



The cost was— Wages, £24 6s. Id.; horses, £10 16s.; a total of £35 2s. Id. 

 The cost per cubic yard was Is. 5d., equal to 2s. lOd. per ton of silage. 



In 191-4, two more pits, totalling 600 cubic yards, were excavated at a cost 

 of— Wages, £19 7s. 2d.; horses, £7 13s. 6d. ; a total of £27 0s. 2d. The 

 cost per yard in this case was 10fd., equal to Is. 9id. per ton. The great 

 reduction as compared with the first two pits was due to the previous 

 experience and to the better implements which were available. 



The pits, if well looked after, will last several years, so that the cost to be 

 debited against each ton of material is practically nothing — it would amount 

 to about 3d. per ton. 



The 550 tons made at Coonamble were cut from 110 acres of land bearing 

 heavy crops, the average yield being 5 tons per acre ; but it must be con- 

 sidered that the silage is not required every year, and it will be found in 

 practice that if a good supply is put by in the years when the crops are 

 heavy none need be put up when they are light. 



