FODDER IN INDIA. 3I 



be found more satisfactory than any other being neither too 

 deep for convenient filling and emptying, not too shallow to 

 accommodate any length or breadth). There has been much 

 written and more said about siloing, the best teacher is 

 experience, and the following points gathered from the writer's 

 own are for the help of the student : — A silo pit cannot be 

 dug in any soil, e.^., black-cotton or sand, which naturally 

 would allow water to drain into the pits. When once 

 made, be quite sure your pit is water-tight top, bottom and 

 sides, probably a clay or clay loam is the best land for silo 

 pits. Pick out high lying spots, hillock tops, etc., and make 

 a shallow surface drain all round each pit with an outlet on 

 the lowest side : all grass or crops for silage should be cut 

 clean not cheeled, or your silage is ruined with dirt and roots. 

 Rain falling does not interfere with filling pits, but the pits 

 must be clean, empty and dry as possible when the filling 

 begins. Fill your pits as quickly as possible, and if you can 

 cover the same day it is as well, but do it properly, fill 

 evenly and tread down well all the time you are filling, and 

 pile up a full 8' above the level of the top of the pit. You will 

 have to complete the covering again later on when the grass 

 has settled down, throw the earth on the sides and ends first, 

 then on the top. Monsoon grasses off Monsoon and imma- 

 newly top-dressed land do not make ture grasses not best 

 good silage, unless allowed to dry a little 

 outside first, and they never make the " best" silage : still 

 it has to be cut and utilized and with a little care makes quite 

 edible fodder. Once pits are made they must be inspected 

 constantly, especially when there is rain, and repaired, cracks 

 and holes filled in, and no water standing near to drain in. 

 Silage is particularly liable to deterioration by rainfall when 

 pits are open for issuing, and the whole cover or top should 

 not be taken off at once'b'ut in strips day by day. The 

 actual loss by conversion of green grass to silage is 40 per 

 cent., the loss after opening pits by dryage, opening, carting 

 and sometimes by rainfall is variable but can hardly be 

 less than 5 per cent., often more ; the authorities will not 



