160 Oat and Tare Silage 



periods were too short and tlie sheep were not on controlled diets previous 

 to the different trials. The sheep would readily have consumed a heavier 

 diet of silage, l)ut it was desired to keep the amount of drv matter con- 

 sumed per day rou^^hly the same as in the hay period. P>ot1i animals 

 were rouijlily in nitrt)f^enous eiiuililnium during this peridd. 



Table Will. Siiiiiiiitiri/ of digestihllili/ n-sull.'^. 

 1. Oonipai'isdii of dijiestimi eoellieients. 



2. Percentages of digest ilile nutrients (calculated to dry matter) 

 starch equivalents. 



Discussion of results. In the fourth column are given the ligures 

 obtained from digestibiUty trials with the same sheep on the previous 

 year's crop of oat and tare silage. These results were not corrected for 

 the volatile acid content of the silage. They differ materially from the 

 results obtained in the present investigation, the pre^^ous year's silage 

 possessing on the whole a markedly lower digestibility. This difference 

 comes out strikingly in the cases of the dry matter, organic matter, 

 nitrogen-free extractives and fibre, whilst the protein and ether extract 

 fractions possess similar digestibiUties. The previous year's silage was 

 much richer in protein (16-2/5 per cent, on dry matter) than the 1921-22 

 crop (12-55 per cent.), and this is reflected in the table giviug tJie amounts 

 of digestible nutrients. The wide difference in the amoimts of dige.stible 

 carbohydrates in the two silage .samples is also noteworthy, whilst the 

 lower nutritive value of the previous year's silage is evidenced by the 

 difference between the values of the starch equivalents. 



