A. Amos and G. Williams '^V>l^ 



lost from vvoodeu silos. The juice may ruu to waste and after putrefaction 

 produce unpleasant smells in the yard or it may be given to cattle or 

 pigs as a liquid. 



Conclusions. 



1. Many different types of silage may be produced from the same 

 crop according to the conditions of ensiling; the characteristics of the 

 resulting silage varying not only in physical and chemical but also in 

 feeding properties. 



2. The following types of silage have been differentiated and some 

 of the conditions of their production ascertained. 



((/) "Sweet" dark brown silage. This type of silage is produced when 

 the temperature of fermentation rises above 45°-50° C. ; it has not been 

 produced below 45° C. It is frequently produced in stack silage to which 

 air has ready access, but not generally in tower silos except in a shallow 

 layer (i in. to '2 ft. thick just below the mouldy surface to which air has 

 ready access. This silage has a dark brown colour varying in intensity 

 according to the temperature of fermentation and a sweet pleasant smell 

 resembhng that of heated hay. It is readily eaten by stock, but has 

 generally lost a considerable proportion of its food value through exces- 

 sive heating. 



(b) Acid light-brown or yellow-brown silage is i>roduced in tower silos 

 from crops which are moderately mature when cut and allowed to wilt 

 for varying periods according to the initial dryness until the moisture 

 content of the crop approximates 70 percent. The maximum tempera- 

 ture of fermentation is generally between 30° and 37° C. 



This silage has a yellowish brown to brown colour with an acid 

 though pleasant smell probably largely due to acetic acid, the yellowish 

 types being generally the more pleasant. 



This type of silage is eaten greedily by stock, which thrive upon it 

 and is to be commended. 



{(■) Green "fruity" silage is produced in tower silos from crops which 

 are cut in the earlier stages of maturity, from the time of full flower till the 

 seeds are half formed. The crop must also be ensiled soon after cutting. 

 The temperature of fermentation is low and may vary from 22° C. to 

 34° C. This type has a green to olive green colour with a smell that is 

 neither "sweet" nor "sour," but can best be described as "fresh" and 

 "fruity." It is greedily eaten by stock, which thrive greatly upon it, and 

 Woodman^ has recently shown that its digestible properties are very high. 



Green silage suffers from one practical disadvantage; large quantities 

 1 Woodman. This Journal, 12, Part II, April 1922. 



