A conservation experiment is described in which a comparison is made of quality and of nutrient losses in long and lacerated silages of warm fermentation type made in large lined trench silos. High losses of 29.5 and 34.7% of the dry matter in the long grass silages and 32.8 and 32.4% in the lacerated silages were recorded. Losses of starch equivalent were correspondingly high amounting to 43.3 and 49.5% in the long grass silages and 49.1 and 46.5% in the lacerated silages. The mean loss of dry matter in the effluent from the lacerated silages was 1.3% higher than in the long grass silages.

A conservation experiment is described in which the losses in ensiling heavily-wilted herbage, of approximately 50% dry matter, in lined trench silos, with and without a polyethylene film seal, are compared. The composition and digestibility of the silages produced in the sealed silos were comparable with those of the original herbage. The content of organic acids in the sealed silos was low, suggesting that fermentation was suppressed by the partially gas-tight seal. In the unsealed silos there was considerable spoilage, 70% of the material being inedible. In the 2 sealed silos losses of dry matter were 8-2 and 5-2% and losses of SE 11-5 and 7-8%, respectively. The losses recorded are compared with those usually encountered in lined trench silos.

1. An experiment, lasting 3 years, was carried out to investigate the control of hypomagnesaemia on a medium-heavy loam soil in Northern Ireland, using as criteria herbage analysis and analysis of blood sera of grazing dairy cows.2. Applications of calcined magnesite and magnesian limestone as soil treatments raised the magnesium contents of herbage slightly but not to levels judged to be safe. Low blood sorum magnesium levels were recorded for cows grazing this herbage although no cases of tetany occurred.3. Magnesium sulphate, appliedas a spray, temporarily raised the ‘apparent’ magnesium content of the herbage but was easily washed off by rain.4. Finely powdered calcined magnesite applied as a dust to the herbage immediately before grazing appeared to be a promising method of control under Northern Ireland conditions.

Three trials were carried out to compare the feeding value of silage and barn‐dried hay for fattening bullocks of approximately 8 cwt initial body weight. In each case the silage and hay were cut from the same sward at the same time. In the first trial the bullocks fed on hay gained 1·88 lb/day while those self‐fed on silage gained 1·55 lb/day during a 70‐day feeding period. In the second trial of 70 days, the bullocks fed on hay gained 1·96 lb/day and those fed on silage from a trough gained 2·39 lb/day. In the third trial, individually‐fed bullocks housed in stalls and given the same hay and silage as used in Trial 2 gained 123 lb/day on hay and 127 lb/day on silage. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to the findings of other workers.

A conservation experiment is described in which a comparison is made of quality and of nutrient losses in wilted and unwilted lacerated silages made by the cold fermentation process in large trench silos. The losses of dry matter in the two wilted silages were 19.7 and 16.7% and in the unwilted silages 23.3 and 22.1%.