Aug.6. I9I7 Chemical Studies in Making Alfalfa Silage 



279 



approximation in this respect was practicable. Alfalfa in these three 

 conditions was then put into the bottles without supplement, and with 

 supplements consisting of ground sound corn, ground germinated corn, 

 molasses, and rye. The corn was allowed to germinate until the sprouts 

 were about X inch long. The amount of water added to the alfalfa was 

 calculated to be about one-half of that which had evaporated in wilting. 

 The proportions of the various supplements used are given in Table II. 



QUALITY OP SILAGE PRODUCED AND EFFECT OP VARIOUS SUPPLEMENTS 



On the basis of considering 80 per cent or above good silage, Table I 

 was prepared. From Table II it can be seen that most of those that were 

 good graded 100, only a few being 80 or 90. These figures denote only a 

 shade of deterioration. 



Table I. — Distribution of good and poor alfalfa silage in bottles 



Kind of alfalfa silage. 



Alfalfa alone: 



Fresh 



Wilted 



Wilted + water 



Alfalfa+com io;i: 



Total 



Fresh 



Wilted 



Wilted+water 



Alfalfa+ germinated com 

 20:1: 



Total 



Fresh 



Wilted 



Wilted+water 



Alfalfa + germinated corn 

 40:1: 



Total 



Fresh 



Wilted 



Wilted + water 



Alfalfa + molasses 30:1: 



Total 



Fresh 



Wilted 



Wilted+water 



Alfalfa+rye3:i: 



Total 



Fresh , 



Wilted 



Wilted+water 



Alfalfa+no supplement: 



Total 



Fresh 



Wilted 



Wilted + water 



Kind of alfalfa silage. 



Alfalfa alone: 



Full pack 



75 per cent pack .... 



50 per cent pack .... 



25 per cent pack. . . . 

 With corn 20:1: 



Total 



Fresh 



Wilted 



Wilted+water 



With germinated corn 

 30:1: 



Total 



Fresh 



Wilted 



Wilted+water 



With molasses 20:1: 



Total 



Fresh 



Wilted 



Wilted + water 



With molasses 40:1: 



Total 



Fresh 



Wilted 



Wilted + water 



With rye 6:1: 



Total 



Fresh 



Wilted 



Wilted+water 



Per 

 cent- 

 age 

 good. 



90.9 

 90.9 

 84. S 

 75-7 



75- o 



100. o 



50.0 



75-0 



100. o 

 100. o 

 100. o 



lOO.O 



100. o 

 100. o 

 100. o 

 100. o 



66.6 



o 



100. o 



100. o 



75- o 



75- o 

 100. o 

 50.0 



From a detailed study of the figures in Table I the following conclu- 

 sions can be drawn: 



Influence of wilting. — ^When fresh alfalfa was used, the percentage 

 of bottles which had good silage was 68.2; for wilted alfalfa the percent- 

 age was 95.4, and for wilted alfalfa plus water it was 93.0. 



