'•V.Vl Teu^xraiinc <(i)(cfiii>j the QnulUij i)j' Sikaje 



luirly well lU'vuloped, the oats just pas.sing out of the milk stage aud the 

 tares with full-grown pods and half-grown seeds. The crop stood up 

 fairly well, but a slight shower of rain, amounting only to -01 in., fell 

 on the crop on the evening of August 4th after the first days cutting. 

 The rest of tiie filling period was fine though dull. 



In consequence of the rain on August 4th, the fodder in bags 1 to 5, 

 Table IV, was slightly wetted by rain after cutting, but with the excep- 

 tion of bags 1 and 2, was dry again before ensiling. 



Tabit 



No. of 

 bag Material 



7 Oats and tares, wilted 3 days 

 f> .. .. .. 2 „ 



5 ,, .. ., 3 „ 



4 „ ., ., 2 ,. 



3 „ M .. 2 „ 



2 Oats and tares, wilted 1 day, 



but wet with rain 

 1 Oats and tares, not wilted, 79-8 24 83-4 „ „ „ 



wet with rain 



Table IV is compiled in exactly the same way as Table III. 



When the silo was opened it was again found that the topmo.st bag. 

 No. 7, near the surface, contained "sweet" dark brown silage and this 

 was associated with a maximum temperature of fermentation, taken just 

 below the bag, of Hi" C. It is probable that the maximum temix'rature 

 within the bag would have been a few degrees above this point. 



Bag 6, which had been cut in dry weather and allowed to wilt two 

 days before ensiling reached a maximum temperature of 30° ('. and 

 contained typical liglit brown acid silage with a pleasant smell. 



Bags 5, 4 aud 3 whicli had been slightly wetted with rain after 

 cutting and then left long enough to dry oflt the rainwater before ensiling, 

 produced silage very similar to that in bag (i. 



Bag 2, whicli contained a small amount of rainwater when ensiled, 

 contained a slightly unpleasantly sour silage and bag I . wliich was 

 next to the floor of the silo and was very wet when ensiled, contained 

 the characteristic unpleasantly sour pungent brown silage. The thermo- 

 meter indicated that the maximum temperature in this case was only 

 24° C, due partly to proximity to the floor of the silo and partly to the 

 exclusion of air from the wet material containing as it did 80 per cent, 

 of moisture. It must also be recorded that in the season 1919 the drain 

 in the floor of the silo was intentionally closed so that no drainage was 

 possible. This may have contributed to the souring of the bottom silage. 



