GREEN FOOD IN SILOS. 171 



interest to us as practical farmers, and one upon which we 

 are desirous of obtaining all the information possible. I 

 would like to ask one or two questions of the professor. I 

 understand, from the several analyses that have been given 

 of the green food and of the ensilage of the same, that there 

 are certain losses, m the ensilage, of valuable qualities ; and 

 it has been stated that those losses are owing to fermentation. 

 Now it seems to me that the great object of the silo is to 

 prevent fermentation : that is the only means by which we 

 can preserve the green fodder ; and I understand that a silo 

 well constructed, well prepared, and the ensilage properly 

 cared for, will prevent fermentation. I have understood 

 from Mr. Goffart of France, that, after twenty-five years of 

 experience, he has at last perfected the system to such an 

 extent, that fermentation is substantially checked, or not 

 allowed to take place. 



Professor Goessmann. Mr. Goffart's results merely re- 

 duce the degree of fermentation. No man can prevent, at 

 ordinary temperature, the fermentation of vegetable matter 

 once brought in contact with the air, without the use of anti- 

 septics : he can only effect a change in the degree and in the 

 kind of fermentation. Mr. Goffart may have succeeded in 

 suppressing the alcoholic fermentation, yet could not prevent 

 the lactic-acid fermentation, or the milk-acid fermentation, 

 wdiich transforms the sugar into the acid of milk. The 

 alcoholic fermentation changes the sugar into alcohol and 

 carbonic acid. The next step is the oxidation of the alcohol 

 into acetic acid. When air finds no access, the process of 

 fermentation is simply altered, not removed: it is decom- 

 position in another direction. All we can do in preserving 

 from destruction organic matter once removed from its place 

 of growth, is to retard its decomposition : we cannot pre- 

 vent it. And there comes the disadvantage. It requires skill 

 to reduce that influence to the smallest proportion ; but it 

 cannot be entirely prevented. Here we have an illustration 

 of plants being tightly boxed up, packed in the centre of a 

 silo, and kept there for months ; and we find eighteen per 

 cent of the organic matter destroyed. Is there any more 

 practical method of excluding a direct contact with air in a 

 more efficient way? It is clearly very desirable to prevent 

 fermentation ; but practically it is impossible. All we can 



