1022 Agricultural Gazette of N.SJF. [Dec. 2, 1908. 



end uf the period the bottles were opened and the contents exainincd. 

 results may be summarised as follow :— 



The 



It will be observed that the characteristic silage changes ; the production 

 of the silage odour and colour, of volatile acids, and the conv^ersion of i^rotein 

 to non-protein, occur only in A and D, where living cells are kept out of 

 contact with air. If cells and organisms are killed, but enzymes ai'e allowed 

 to act, only one of the changes takes place— the conversion of protein to non- 

 protein. If spore-forming organisms alone survive, as in C, none of the silage 

 changes occur. 



TJte Volatile Acid>< — Since these are formed only in A and D, and not at 

 all in B or C, their formation must be attributed either to the living 

 protoplasm of the maize cell or to casual organisms : their invariable and 

 rapid production in A (this experiment was repeated a number of times) 

 appears strongly to indicate that they are formed by the living cell. Further, 

 their non-occurrence in E shows that they arise only when the living cell is 

 deprived of oxygen. They may, therefore, be regarded as products of 

 anaerobic respiration. But, although the living cell is probably the primary 

 agent, the organisms also play a part in either producing or modifying them ;. 

 the acids in D, where organisms were introduced, were somewhat different 

 in character from those in A. Coni)dete sepaiations were not attempted, 

 but the silver salts of the mixtures contained the following percentages of 

 silver : — 



Mixture in A Mixture in I) 



(living maize only). (living maizersilage organisms). 



Bottle 1... .. 56 "56 I ..f. ., , 



Bottle 2 57 -52 1 ""-' 



Silver acetate contains 64"G5 per cent, and silver l>utyrate 55'40 per cent. 



It appears that more of the lower hoinologues are present in D than. 



in A. 



