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THM AGBIGVL TUBAL JOURNAL. 



torn of the pipe to save the glass thermo- 

 meter in its descent. 



Covering and Closing the Silo. 

 The filling of the silo should be car- 

 ried out in such a manner that the layer 

 of fodder should always be horizontal. 

 The jilling having been completed, the 

 covering up takes place. The planks 

 should be put across the short way of the 

 silo, and 9 x 2 red gum is found to be a 

 convenient size. At one time it was 

 thought to be necessary to have the cover, 

 ing as close and air-tight as possible, but 

 this has proved to be a fallacy. Sawdust, 

 bran, felt, boards tongued and grooved, 

 have all been tried in order to prevent the, 

 air from escaping ; but the object now is 

 to facilitate the air to escape by compres- 

 sion, and for this purpose it is better to 

 put the planks about a quarter of an inch 

 apart, and half-an-inch shorter at each 

 end than the silo, so that there will be no 

 fear of them sticking against the walls. 



Weighting the Silo. 

 Mr. Wilson's first experience in weight- 

 ing the silo was with bags of sand two 

 feet deep ; but this was not a success, as 

 the bags soon got rotted. He then got 

 the local blacksmith at Egerton, Mr. 

 Simpson, to make a screw and chain 

 press. The screw is worked by one man, 

 and the total leverage of the appliance 

 is as 450 is to 1, due allowance being 

 made for friction. This appliance is a 

 great saving of labour, especially when a 

 silo is being refilled, as the whole cover- 

 ing can be removed in fifteen minutes. 

 In the absence of any mechanical pres- 

 sure, the weighting can be accomplished 

 l)y the material easiest procurable on the 

 ground, and that will give sufficient pres- 

 sure, viz., 100 to 150 lbs. to the square 

 foot. Ensilage can be made in a silo 

 without pressure ; but, taking into ac- 

 count the waste of space and loss of en- 

 silage by decay at the top and sides, this 

 system has no advantage to recommend it.^ 

 As good ensilage has been preserved in 

 ilii< way as in the most expensive silo, 

 and a small farmer need not hesitate to 

 pink a hole in any good ground, put in 

 liis green fodder, and cover it up with 



two feet of earth, and it will come out 

 green and sweet six or nine months 

 afterwards. Wooden portable silos are 

 now much used in England. They are 

 in shape like a huge barrel, and answer 

 the purpose very well in that country, 

 but I doubt very much whether they 

 would be successful in these Colonies, ow- 

 ing to the excessive heat of our summers, 

 A great deal has been done m Eng- 

 land in the way of converting old barns 

 and other buildings into silos. 



Opening the Silo. 

 Only a sufficient number of planks 

 should be removed as to give convenient 

 room for the operation of cutting to be 

 performed. 



It is best to cut ensilage m vertical 

 sections as is done in a haystack, as much 

 being taken out each day as is lequiredj 

 for the day's consumption, although it 

 will keep fairly well lor a week or eo. 

 after being removed from the silo. The 

 weights should not be removed from the 

 uncut portions until absolutely required,) 

 as it is necessary to continue the pres- 

 sure as long as possible. When the first, 

 cut gets below the surface use a large 

 coal basket capable of holding 100 fts. 

 Ihis is laised hy means of block and 

 tackle sufficiently high for the man in _ 

 the dray to catch and empty it. When 

 the silo is small and deep and the con- 

 sumption rapid, the whole of the weights; 

 and coverings may be removed at once, 

 and the ensilage removed from the entire 

 surface as required. In a broad and shal- 

 low silo, however, it would be un- 

 wise to attempt this method. Ensilage 

 has been taken from a silo of this kind 

 every day except Sunday for three 

 months, and the last was as good as the 

 first. 



Crops por the Silo. 

 Any vegetation that stock will eat in 

 its natural state will make good ensilage, 

 and it will be much improved by the 

 operation, especially if fed to cattle. It 

 is said that cattle assimilate ensilage 

 better than they do any other food, and 

 the reason for this is the change effected 

 in the silo is nearly or quite that which 

 is brou"-ht about in the first stomach of 



