450 



carefully." July 1, 1889, both t.inks were filled with red clover. The 

 silage in tank 1 was covered with tar i)aper, aud about 8 inches of saw- 

 dust; that in tank 2 was not covered. The weight of the silage, as 

 taken daily for 2 months, is recorded in a table. When the tanks were 

 opened September 2 it was found that the 1,183 pounds of clover put 

 Itito tank 1, had decreased to 950 pounds, a loss of 233 pounds, or 19.7 

 per cent; 190 pounds of thcsilage was unfit for use, leaving 760 pounds 

 (64.2 per cent) of good silage. The weight of the silage in tank 2 had 

 decreased from 1,142.5 to 660 pounds, a loss of 482.5 i^ounds or 42.2 per 

 cent. There were 331.5 pounds of spoiled silage, leaving only 328.5 

 pounds (28.8 per cent) of good silage. The large percentage of silage 

 spoiled in the second tank was thought to be due to the fact that as no 

 covering was used and the mass of the silage was too small to become 

 compact by its own weight, fermentation was favored by a relatively 

 large supply of air. 



(2) Tank silos filled with fodder corn. — The tanks above described were 

 filled September 2, 1890 with white flint fodder corn, which was covered 

 with tar paper and 8 inches of sawdust. 



Tank 1 received matured corn, 1,622 pounds. The weight of the 

 silage taken out December 10 was 1,485.5 pounds, a loss of 137 pounds, or 

 about 8.5 per cent. The spoiled silage weighed 223 pounds, leaving 

 1,262.5 pounds of good silage. The total loss from ensiling was 359.5 

 pounds, or 22.2 per cent. Analysis showed that the loss in weight of 

 dry matter was 26.1, of crude protein 30.2, and of ash 30.8 per cent. 

 "These losses are rather large, owing to the small quantity of fodder 

 ensiled ; being mature and comparatively light, the corn did not pack as 

 well as in the case of the green corn, and hence the greater loss. The 

 silage contained 1.14 per cent lactic acid and 0.00 per cent acetic acid, 

 or a total acidity of 1.20 per cent." 



Tank 2 received green fodder corn, 1,779 pounds. The weight of the 

 silage taken out was 1,667.5, a loss of 111.5 pounds, or about 6.3 per 

 cent. The spoiled silage weighed 167 pounds, leaving 1,500.5 pounds 

 of good silage. The total loss from ensiling was 278.5 pounds, or 15.7 

 per cent. The loss in weight of dry matter was 8.3, of crude protein 

 14.8, and of ash 12.7 per cent. The spoiled silage " was almost black, 

 sticky, and here and there white moldy. The good silage was light green, 

 of aromatic odor, very sour ; after the good silage had been reached no 

 signs of mold were seen, the silage in contact with the wall of the silo, 

 and clear down to the bottom being all well preserved. * * * The 

 silage taken out of the silo contained 1.49 per cent of non- volatile acids 

 (lactic acid), and 0.23 per cent of volatile acids (acetic acid), or a total 

 acidity of 1.72 per cent." 



A table gives a partial analysis of the corn and silage used in these 

 experiments. 



Tho reniilt of these two silo experimeiits teach* 8 ns, as has also lieen repeatedly 

 sliovvu iu our other silo work at this station but never under strictly couiparaljle con- 



