506 



Silage for Dairy Cows. 



[Sept., 



SILAGE FOR DAIRY COWS. 



G. S. Robertson, D.Sc, 

 Queen s University of Belfast 

 {Formerly of the Institute of Agriculture, Chelmsford) 



and 



F. J. Pitcher, 

 Mangapp Manor, Burnham-on-Crouch. 



In the eastern parts of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk consider- 

 able difficulty is experienced in growing satisfactory crops of 

 mangolds owing to the dry cKmatic conditions prevailing during 

 the summer months, and in the case of Essex these unfavour- 

 able circumstances are accentuated by the very heavy nature of 

 the London clay soils. 



It is because of these difficulties that many farmers have been 

 turning their attention to silage as a substitute for roots. 



In an average season silage cannot be grown at the same cost 

 per ton as roots, and it is probable that unless it can perform 

 other feeding functions than replace an equal weight of man- 

 golds it is not likely to prove an economical substitute for roots 

 in the feeding of dairy cows. 



In an article in an earlier issue of this Journal (Vol. 23, June, 

 J 916, p. 224) Oldershaw gave an account of some trials 

 he made to ascertain whether a ration of 60 lb. of silage could 

 replace 60 lb. of mangolds and 7 lb. of straw chaff in' the feed- 

 ing of dairy cows. The silage used consisted of tares and oats 

 in the proportion of 1 of oats to 2 of tares, and the results 

 showed that for milk production the silage ration was slightly 

 superior; the difference, however, was so small as to be within 

 the limits of experimental error. 



An examination of the rations shows, however, that the silage 

 ration contained considerably more albuminoids than the man- 

 gold ration, and it would therefore seem that use could be made 

 of this fact to reduce considerably the amount of concentrates 

 fed. 



In the autumn of last year it was decided to carry out an 

 experiment on the farm of Messrs. F. B. & F. J. Pitcher, 

 Burnham-on-Crouch, the object being to ascertain whether 

 silage could effectively take the place of mangolds weight for 

 weight and at the same time effect an economy in the use of 

 cakes and meals. 



Messrs. Pitchers' holding at Mangapp, Burnham, consists of 

 165 acres of arable land and 181 acres of grass (50 acres of this 



