Dec. 2, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S,TF, 102X 



These results indicate the general nature of the chaM<,'es ; we can, huwcver, 

 get more definite information by ascertaining what compounds are actually- 

 present. The following have been isolated by the author from silage : — 



Alcohols. Fatty acids. Hydroxy -acidn. Dibasic acids. 



Ethyl, alcohol Formic acid Lactic acid Carbonic acid 



Acetic acid Malic acid Succinic acid 



?i-Butyric acid 

 Isopropylacetic acid 

 Hexoic acid (either vt-caproic 

 or isobutylacetic acid) 



Nitrogen compounds. 



Mono-amino acidx. Diamlno acids. Basic compounds. 



A mixture which could not Histidine Ammonia 



be separated. Reactions Lysin Pentamethylene diamine 



indicate Ornithin Betain (trace only) 



glycocol Adenin 



alanine and others Another purin base not identified 



In addition there was some gummy matter, some lecithin, a fragrant oil, a 

 little humus, besides the usual celluloses, protein, oil, etc. 



The following were sought for, but could not be found : — Aldehyde, higher 

 alcohols, glycerin, arginin. 



Many of these are altogether absent from maize, e.y., the volatile acids, 

 lactic acid, etc. ; others are found, e.g., the amino acids, but to a much less 

 extent. 



This list does not include all the constituents, for indications of other 

 bodies were obtained ; but it will be found sufficient to give a fairly accurate 

 idea of what goes on in the silo. 



»^ 



The agents producing the changes. 



It has already been stated that there are three possible agents likely to be 

 involved in bringing about changes in the silo, viz., living protoplasm carrying 

 ■on its vital functions, particularly respiration, enzymes which, though origin- 

 ating from protoplasm, can, nevertheless, act independently of it, and micro- 

 organisms. The relative parts played by these three cannot be ascertained 

 by direct experiment because of the impossibility of sterilising pieces of living 

 maize ; hence the effect of the cell alone, apart from organisms, cannot be 

 investigated. The method adopted in the first series of experiments was 

 to pack into bottles (which make very good miniature silos) pieces of (A) 

 living maize, to get the total effect of all three agents, (B) maize killed and 

 sterilised with toluene, which still allows enzymes to act, (C) maize killed by 

 heating to 98° C, when enzymes and living organisms are destroyed, but 

 not spores; certain organisms may, therefore, develop, (D) living maize 

 inoculated with silage juice containing large numbers of the organisms 

 actually occurring in the silo. In all these cases the bottles were closed to 

 prevent entrance of air, but provision was made for the escape of gases. 

 Further, in order to observe the effect of admitting air, some of the bottles 

 containing living maize were simply plugged with cotton-wool (E). The 

 bottles were then kept for five months at 20° C. in an incubator. At the 



