566 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



no falling-off in the way of work, but displayed less energy 

 and tire. Any tendency to indigestion from the use of the 

 maize is cured by adding sea-salt to the feed. The results 

 thus obtained are confirmed by the experiments of the Cab 

 Company. This company has also substituted maize for oats, 

 with a total saving per year of over one million francs, the 

 animals showing no decrease of vigor or power of endurance. 

 At present the rations of the horses are prepared according 

 to chemical analysis, the feed of oats being diminished from 

 16 to 2 pounds by augmenting, in proportion, the beans and 

 maize, the latter double the ratio of the former. 



Ensilage. 



The preservation of green fodder by "ensilage" is receiv- 

 ing increased attention not only in France and other coun- 

 tries where it has for some time been practised, but of late 

 in this country also. Ensilage consists in covering green 

 fodder with a layer of straw and earth either in pits below 

 or in mounds above the surface of the ground. In this cov- 

 ered mass fermentation o-oes on, and certain chemical changes 

 take place, which M. Grandeau states to be as follows : 



1. The sugar already formed in the plant ferments and 

 produces alcohol and a certain amount of acids. 



2. The starch and lignin are partially transformed into 

 sugar under the influence of the acids formed, the amount 

 of such changes depending upon the length of time the fod- 

 der remains covered. 



3. The nitrogenous and fatty materials become condensed 

 on account of the destruction of non-nitrogenous matters. 

 In this way the relative amount of nutritive nitrogenous sub- 

 stances is increased. This process of curing can be applied 

 to corn fodder, turnip-tops, cabbage-leaves, and to frozen or 

 diseased roots. 



M. Goffart lias experimented largely with ensilage, and the 

 result is that he cures all his hay and green fodder by fermen- 

 tation, lie finds the advantages of so dointr to be these: 



1. The fodder, no matter when gathered or in what condi- 

 tion, can be successfully preserved. Frozen maize can be 

 kept in good condition by such treatment. 



2. The fermented maize was found to be more tender than 

 that treated in the usual way. 



