Oct. 14, 1918 



Chemistry of Sweet-Clover Silage 



117 



(2) The acidity of matured silage made from alfalfa alone is twice 

 that of matured silage made from sweet clover alone, as determined in 

 the water extracts. As determined in the alcoholic extract, the acidity 

 is approximately one-third greater. 



(3) The comparatively smaller acidity of the silage made from sweet 

 clover may be partly due to the high moisture content. In a previous 

 investigation^ it was found that silage made from freshly cut alfalfa had a 

 lower percentage of acidity than that made from wilted alfalfa. While 

 the sweet clover used in the present investigation was wilted, it still had a 

 large moisture content. 



P<u/s 



Fig. I. — Graphs showing the acidity in water and alcoholic extracts of silage; obtained by colorimetric 



titration with phenolphthalein. 



(4) The acidity of the water-extract silage from alfalfa alone is the 

 same as the acidity of the alcoholic extract of silage from sweet clover 

 plus com meal. 



(5) When com meal was added to sweet clover, the acidity was in- 

 creased about 50 per cent. This is in harmony with results obtained in a 

 previous investigation^ with adding com meal to alfalfa in making 

 silage. 



(6) About two-thirds of the total acidity is developed in the first 15 

 days. The maximum acidity is reached in about 40 to 60 days. (See 

 fig- I-) 



• SwANsoN, C. O. and Tague. E. L. op cit., p. 281. 

 » SwANSON, C. O.. and Tague. E. L. op. at., p. aSi. 



78774°— 18 5 



