334 Trnipenitwe affect Iikj the Qiudiitj of Sihuje 



showers on tliat day and the morning of July 11th, but the afternoon 

 was dry and sunny so that the crop when ensiled on July 12th was free 

 from rainwater. Each of these produced light brown silage with an acid 

 but not unpleasant smell. None the less it was not so good as that in 

 Nos. 5 and (!. 



Bags Nos. 2 and 1 contained material which had been cuf on July .'kd, 

 but owing to very wet weather remained in the field till July 9th before 

 ensiling. A certain amount of decom])osition occurred in the field, and 

 the crop was ensiled whilst it still contained some rainwater, the total 

 moisture contents being 72-5 per cent, and f)9-l per cent, respectively. 

 The silage from these bags was of the characteristically unpleasant 

 "sour" variety, previously described; it possessed a dark brown colour 

 and a pungent smell which clung to hands or clothes brought into 

 contact with it; the maximum temperatures recorded with these samples 

 amounted only to 30° C. to 31" C. Experimental cattle, when fed upon 

 it, failed to thrive well. 



Table VTl. 1921 crof. 



"„ i)f Miixiiuiiin "„ nf 

 Nci. of moisture teiii[) inoistiirc f.'^'Pf "f 



l>au Material green ero|) ■" ('. silage silage 



"-' Oats and tares, wilted lirs. (i7-4 34-5 70-6 Green and "fruity" 



I ., , not wilted 7()-.") 24-.5 69-7 



In 1921 the crop was ensiled in perfect weather, warm and dry, 

 except that on the night previous to the first day's cutting -OC) in. of rain 

 fell, so that the material in bag 1 contained a small amount of rain- 

 water. The crop was not very mature, the tares being in full flower 

 and the oats ju.st in milk. Wilting throughout the filling was reduced 

 to a minimum, the croj) being cut only a short time before ensiling. 

 Both bags, and in fact the whole of the silage, was of excellent quality. 

 The silage had an olive colour with a tint of green throughout, though 

 in some parts the green was more pronounced than in others. The smell 

 was entirely dilTerent from that previously obtained; it had no suggestion 

 of sourness, although it was made from sappy and rather immature 

 material, nor had it any pungent odour, but it possessed a kind of 

 "fruity" smell suggestive of pear drops and combined with this the 

 smell of freshly cut lawn grass. When fed to stock it was ravenously 

 eaten and under experimental conditions has given excellent feeding 

 results^. 



It is to be remarked when such freshly cut material containing large 

 quantities of moisture is ensiled that much juice may be expressed and 



' The results of this feeding experiment will be puliliahed shortly. 



