451 



ditiona, that tlio more watery the f'xlder eii.siled tlio smaller is the Ujhs of dry matter, 

 but the greater the acidity of the silage obtained. The better a fodder will pack 

 the smaller the loss caused through fermciitatiou in the silo. For this reason, while 

 the original method of weighting the silage may not bo considered i^ractical, it will 

 preserve a greater portion of the fodder; it is, therefore, simply a question of which 

 is the more expensive — the outlay and trouble of weighting the silage, or the greater 

 waste of food materials in the silo. The difference may, however, be less i)ronounced 

 in case of large, deep silos than with small or shallow ones, as the weight of the fodder 

 with the former ones causes it to pack sufficiently. 



(3) Station silos filled with different varieties of corn. — Four silos were 

 filled iu the fall of 1889. From three of these complete data regarding 

 the loss of dry matter, protein, and ash were obtained. The silage from 

 the fourth was used iu a feeding experiment, which prevented the 

 determinatiou of the loss of dry matter. 



Silo 4 was filled with Burrill & Whitman fodder corn at five different 

 dates from September 3 to 12, and opened iu December. More spoiled 

 silage was fouud than iu the case of silo 2 with rapid filling, and the 

 quality of the silage was no better. A partial analysis of the corn and 

 silage for each silo is given iu a table. Data are given showing the 

 difficulty of obtaining a correct estimate of the ash content of silage in 

 a large silo. 



The losses of dry matter for three silos amount to 18.0, 20.2, and 29.6 percent, or on 

 an average 22.6 per cent, while the average loss of crude protein was 14.2 per cent 

 The losses of dry matter last year iu the same silos amounted lo 18.36, 16.72, and 12.7. 

 per cent, on an average 15.94 per cent.* The manner of filling the silos was strictly 

 the same both years, and the only difference that the writer can think of was the 

 further advanced condition of last year's corn crop, on account of the drought. The 

 tank experiments would seem to indicate that the maturer the corn, other conditions 

 being equal, the greater the loss of dry matter in the silo. 



The results, as regards the loss of dry matter and protein, obtained 

 by the author and by Mr. Short in 1888 (See Wisconsin Station 

 Reports for 1888 and 1889) are summarized iu two tables. The results 

 of three years' work at the station are summarized as follows : 



This gives the result of 3 year.s' work, with ten silo experiments in all. The aver- 

 age loss of dry matter found by us to occur in the silo amounts to 20.5 per cent, or 

 one iifthof the fodder put into the silo. This loss is practically identical with what has 

 been called shrinkage by some experimenters; the shrinkage has been slightly increased 

 in our calculations on account of the quantity of silage that spoiled on top of the silo, 

 which being considered unfit for cattle food has not been credited to the silage ; but 

 the results would have been but little changed if only the actual decrease in weight 

 had been considered. We iihus must calculate on a decrease in weight of about one 



* Wisconsin Station Report, 1889 



