REPORT OF TEE CHEMIST 



SESSIONAL PAPER No 16 



Table I. — Analysis of Corn before and after Ensiling. 



181 



The more important facts to be noted in connection with the percentages of dry 

 matter are observable from the following tabular summary : — 



Bottom of Silo — Dry Matter 



Per cent. 



Corn 18-17 



Ensilage, floor of silo 18 -02 



Ensilage, 2£ feet from bottom 23-29 



Middle of Silo — 



Corn 16 :57 



Ensilage, 11 feet from bottom 22 ;59 



Top of Silo — 



Corn 19-33 



Ensilage, 2 feet from top of silo 15 -05 



In the corn, the dry matter varied from 10 "57 per cent to 19 *33 per cent ; in the 

 ensilage, from 15 per cent to 23 per cent. 



There is a very close accordance between the percentages of dry matter in the corn 

 as first put into the silo and the ensilage as taken from the floor of the silo ; such chan- 

 ges as have taken place have evidently not altered the material in this respect. 



The most remarkable data are the percentages for the ensilage samples C (April 3), 

 and E (March 1), in which the dry matter exceeds by 5 per cent or more that of the 

 corn put into the silo (A and D). It is difficult to understand the character of chan- 

 ges that could bring about such a result. The explanation appears to lie in the fact 

 that there was a considerable loss by leakage from the silo, owing to the unavoidably 

 immature condition of the corn. Such would tend naturally to increase the percentage 

 of dry matter in the ensilage. 



In the ensilage taken from the top of the silo (G) we find 4 per cent more moisture 

 than in the corn used, resulting necessarily in a similar decrease of the dry matter. 

 This is due, we presume, to the combustion (by fermentation) of the dry matter, 

 in which the nutrients — starch, sugar, &c. (carbo-hydrates) have suffered most. 



