1012 Agricultural Gazette of N.S. W. [Dec. 2, 1908, 



Rothamsted.' The scientific papers were mainly analytical, ami did little 

 more than continn the <'arlicr I'esiilts. Weiske and Schulze- made inai/.e 

 silago in barrels and observed an increase in the amount of ether extract : 

 they supposed this was due to the conversion of su<,'ai- into lactic and butyric 

 acids, both of which are soluble in ether. Analyses were published by 

 Kinch,3 Lloyd,* Richardson,-^ Smetham,^ Voelcker,'' and the late Dr. A. 

 Voelcker,8 and served to corr(>ct a mnnber of niis«conce])ti<)ns that had arisen. 

 As silage never became general in KngLuid thei'e liavc been only few papers 

 published here since 1S85. 



Meanwhile the subject was being taken up in America. Tn most })arts of 

 the States maize is a far more popular crop than roots, and silage provides the 

 stock with their succulent food in winter. A vast amount of work has been 

 done at the different stations. It is only necessary to mention the investiga- 

 tions of Jordoni" and Armsbyii on the digestibility, which proved con- 

 clusively the loss of nutritive value ; \Voll,i2 Hills,i3 Collieri^ and Kingi'' on 

 the loss of dry mattei- ; Kingly on certain physical questions involved ; and 

 Babcock and RusselP*' on the bacteriological aspects of the question. 



The composition of Green Maize. 



For some years past it has been the practice at the W'ye College to grow 

 green maize as a fodder crop and make a certain quantity into silage. The 

 original idea was to see if silage could to any extent take the place of roots, 

 which, on the light chalky soil of the College farm, are often difficult and 

 sometimes expensive to secure. It may at once be stated that green maize 

 was found to be valuable, but silage was only economical in exceptional 

 seasons.!'' The maize was cut during October as opportunity offered, chopped 

 into pieces, and filled into the silo, a cylindrical wooden structure 12 feet in 

 diameter and 17 feet high, standing in an extension of the barn. A large 

 sample of the cut pieces (10 or 15 kilos) was drawn, a small subsample taken 



' Agric (jazette, 1885, also Rothamsted Mvmoir^, Vol. 4, No. 12. 



- Jourri. far Landirirffchtft, 1883, 32, Heft. i. Abs. in Joiim. CIhvi. So<\ Ah-^., 1S84, 

 p. 1409. Cf. also Paladin, Btr d<r Bot GeseUsrhaft, 1><8S, (I, 20,j and 296. 



2 Tram. Chtm. Hoc. 1884, 45, 122. '' C'/u.w. A'e«-.s, 1884, 49, 210. 



5 Trans. Ghem. Soc. 1885, 47, SO. 



'^ Journ. Roy A</rir. Soc, 1884, 20, 380. ' See R< port <>f Gornmi^sion. 



** Journ. Roy. A<jrir. Soc. 1884, 20, 482 ; other workers quoted in this jiaper are Moser 

 and Holdefleiss. 



'•' E.g. — It was often supposed that fibre became digestible during tlie proeess, and some 

 even considered that sugar was produced. Lawes, in iiis evidence before the commis- 

 sioners, pointed out the fallacy of supposing tiiat poor, coarse grass, weeds, etc., would 

 cliange into useful, nutritious food in tlie silo. 



'" Maim Reports, 189.S and 1894 (Ex/,t. Station Record, 1895, (i, 746 and lS9fi, 7, ^84). 

 ■ '- Pennsylvania R< ports, 1889 (E.cpt. Station Record, 1S92, .S, 457). 



12 LandVirsachs-Stat. 18S9, 3(5, lOl. 



'5 Vermont Reports, 1893 (Erpt. Station Record, 1895, ti, 919.) 



1* Neiv York State Reports, 1892 {Expt. Station Record, 1895, 6, 65.) 



>' Wlsconsiyi Report, 1894 (Expt. Station Record, 1897, 8, 350 and r)87 : 1898, 9, 393) ; 

 also Wisconsin Report, 1900. 



"■' Wisconsin Report, 1900. 



" E. J. Russell, Journ. Board of Agric, April, 1907, p. 14. Reference is also made 

 to the feeding value of silage, which is not dealt witli in the present paper. 



