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'/ .-. H A PK, ENSILAGE, MANGOLDS.
To the Agricultural Editor.
Sir,-Much, has been said in. the columns of j
the "Western Mail" about the value of raj* ]
as a food for sheep. No doubt it is a good
crop to grow, but to my mind it does »ot rill '
our greatest want, namely, a succulent food
for sheep during the late summer and autumn
inonthB. nape grows after the rains have
come; so will the young grass, and there ÍB
Boon an abundance of feed. But prior to this
the sheep have suffered, particularly breeding
ewes, and fallen away in condition. I think
n little artificial feeding in late summer would
carry the Wheep the'autumn in much better
condition, and I think it should pay if proper
means are adopted.
I haye made maize ensilage in Victoria, very
successfully, and fed to dairy cowa during win-
ter ; its value cannot be over-estimated. I
think ensilage might be made here for sheep,
and fed in the summer using wheat, oats, or
barley instead of maize, ag 1 don't think the
latter can be grown successfully on these soils
and without the. summer rains. I believe car-
rots and mangolds, and perhaps swede tur-
nips will give, good crops here, but I have
bad very little experience with them. I
would like to have, through the columns of the
.«'VV«stcrn Mail," the opinions of other fir-
ers on the following:
^l) Unsilag?.-Will it pay to feed sheep on
same, taking into consideration the value
of the crop grown, end cost of making
and feeding the ensilage to the sheep?
(2) Has ensilage the same feeding vainc
(weight for weight) as carrots, mangolds,
or twedes?
(3) Caa the above-mentioned root crops be
grown and kept through the summer in
g-ood condition, so as to be "available for
thc sheep through the months of March,
Amil, and May?
Tours, eto.,
FARMER.
Arti» ur Uiver, June 5. _* j
Many thanks for your thoughtful |
suggestive contribution to the "Mutual
Aid-Column." I think you are only ]
Ïtartly right about rape. If sown be
ore the rains it will give earlier feed
than anything else ; but when the rains
are late, it is as you say. You have,
in fact, hit the nail of our fodder dif-
ficulties squarely on the head. I had
not bpen in the State many weeks be-
fore I realised the problem which our
remarkably dry summer sets ns, and in
various talks and addresses I had with
settlers, and in my report to the Gov-
ernment two years ago, suggested the
remedies which occurred to me.
(1) Search for a fodder plant with
the deep-rooting and summer-growing
properties of stinkwort, but which is at
once palatable and nutritive, which
fitinkwort is decidedly not. There may
be such a plant, and it would be worth
a prince's ransom many times over.
This will take time, and I would not
care to bo subject to the criticisms the
searcher would bo subjected to.
(2) Meanwhile, we must conserve the
fodder which our regular climate makes
it easy to grow in spring. Therefore I
preached ensilage, and preach it more
strongly than ever now. With mutton
and beef the price it is now I am sure
that it will pay to make ensilage, and
feed a/siicculçnt ration during the end
of summer. You having made ensilage
know how simple the process is. All
the details about thermometers and
tempet atures is good theory, but quite
uniiecfc-sfcary in practice, lt is more sim
î-le and more certain than making hay.
if 1 Ind time, I would oflv?r to visit
faillis and show how simple it is.
Hy sowing such mixtures as (1) oats
and'tares, (2) oats and peas, (3) barley,
oats and peas, or (4) barley and tares,
practically a double crop can be got
from the land. You can sow for ex-
ample oats and tares, or oats and peas,
and get a full crop of oats with a tan-
gled mass of tares or peas between. I
well remember such crops at the old
farm, which were as tall as a man, and
so matted and thick that it was hard to
mow them. The peas climb the cereal
stalks. The cost of ensilage is (1) the
labour, chiefly in carting, but there is
no binder twine, and only an old-fas-
hioned mower is necessary. The only
expensive item is carting. Putting
into tho pit is neither expensive nor
difficult. Taking it out and carting to
the feeding paddock is a labour and ex-
pense ; but I feel sure that jt could be
made to pay with good management.
(2) Oat and pea ensilage has a far
higher feeding value than either car-
rots, mangolds, or Swedes. If the crop
is cut in tho early flowering stage, it
is praelie-ill.v at its maximum feeding
value, and the process of ensilage, in
.a not thoroughly understood way, seems
. to render it more palatable and digest-
ible, «nd this We all know is a very
, important item in feeding. In consid-
ering the value of ensilage, it must be
- boriie in mind that it gives better re
suits if part of the food is dry. It is,
therefore, the means by which the far-
mer may make the most of bis straw
and cockie chaff, and heroin lies the
profit. When I say ensilage will pay,
I mean as a part ration to render pro-
fitable the food which at present does
not keep the stock improving.
The consideration of the best way to
carry sheep through the summer in
good condition, and to fatten them in
the scarce season, is not a new one, and
I feel sure that tho problem will be
solved by different fanners in different
ways, or ways differing in details. I
may here mention that Mr. Charles
Harper hardly agrees with mo about
ensilage for stock, but he has an open
mind, and may do so some day, or I
may have to change my views with fur-
ther experience. He is strong-
ly of opinion that the most econ-
omical way is to let the cropS ripen,
and allow the sheep to feed them off
dry, and ile dpes not express opinions
recklessly. Ho has been experiment-
ing, and is ot' opinion that the key to
the problem is tue growth of peas, to be
left on the field, where the sheep will
clean up both haulms and peas, the lat-
ter as cleanly as pigs will. Fie has pro-
mised to give me the monthly gains of
a lot fed this way last slimmer, and 1
will publish them. . At present I am
able to say that I have examined the
field which had thus been fed off, and,
as hardly any pea plants hav« come up,
I conclude no peas were left to grow.
Ho has, however, found that a change
of food is necessary, and ensilage will
provide thia. If all who aro working
at tho problem will compare notes
through this column, we shall not be
long in reaching a solution--we shall
get by giving, so let others send along
their ideas and experience.
(3) I am not sure enough of my
ground to express a decided opinion
about keeping root crops through the
summer, but I do not know of a plan,
and am very doubtful. In any case, I
think that it could not be done as
cheaply as making ensilage. My bro-
ther grows cow carrots and mangolds
regularly, ?* and has done so for
many years, but it is for
winter * feeding in tho cold
months, when the grass is poor and
slow in growth. He USPS either these
with pea straw and hay chaff for the
dairy cows. The usual plan where
mangolds and cow carrots«are grojvn is
to sow in spring, and the crop stands
through tho summer and develops in
the autumn. Foi* some years, I grew
a few rods in Adelaide and always sow-
ed with the first rains, and, with a lit-
tle irrigation, was able to feed the roots
in February, March and April. I never
got big roots this way ; but it answer-
ed my purpose because I did not want
them in winter. I am inclined to think
! that when rains come fairly early, it
will be best in this State (except iii the
! cold districts) to »ow with the first
! rains ; but without the practical experi- '
cnoe I can only give the opinion as a
1 suggestion. Tho German farmers in
the hills districts of South Australia
1 gather the loaves of the mangold crop
in summer, and I did the same; but
this is out of the question on a large
1 scale or where Jabour has to. be paid
for. Ensilage will be cheaper than
root crops in this State. I have freely
! given my opinions; will farmers give
? theirs, either for or against ?
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