572 Journal of Agricultural Research voi.xv. No. n 



(2) The addition of carbohydrate material, such as com meal, blackstrap molasses, 



sweet-sorghum stover, and green rye, when put into the silo resulted in pre- 

 serving it for a longer time than when alfalfa was siloed alone. 



(3) Of the supplements used in these experiments blackstrap molasses proved to be 



the best, com chop was next in order, followed by sweet sorghum stover and 

 green rye. 



(4) The mixture of alfalfa and blackstrap molasses was the most practical one used. 



(5) There is as much acid produced in alfalfa silage as in kafir or cane silage. 



In a preliminary report pertaining to this investigation, Swanson and 

 Tague (17, p. 2g2) state that — 



(i) Most of the acids present in alfalfa silage are produced in the first two weeks. 



(2) The addition of supplements insures a more rapid and plentiful production of acids^ 



(3) Sugar present in the material used in making silage disappears very rapidly^ 



Completely matured silage contains no sugar. 



(4) Molasses was the most effective supplement. 



(5) Alfalfa as it is put into the silo contains only a small amount of nitrogen in amino 



form. 



(6) Alfalfa silage contains a large amoimt of nitrogen in the amino form. In good 



silage about one-third of the nitrogen is in this form, and in bad alfalfa silage 

 amoimt is sometimes one-half of the total nitrogen. 



(7) Most of the change of nitrogen into amino form takes place in the first 10 days. 



BACTERIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN 1914 

 METHODS OP PROCEDURE 



It was planned to collect samjjles for analyses at the time of filling the 

 silo, each day after filling for seven days, every other day for the next 

 week, every four days for the following two weeks, then once a week, and 

 finally once a month until the silo was opened. While circumstances 

 came up which interfered with this schedule at various times, this general 

 plan of procedure was followed. The silage for analysis was obtained 

 from the silos from a small hole about 2 inches in diameter bored into 

 the side of the silo about 2 or 3 feet from the level of the ground. The 

 samples of silage were collected in sterile containers by means of a large 

 extension auger. 'After the required amount was obtained, the holes 

 were tightly stoppered with paraffined corks. The general practice 

 was to collect the samples, as aseptically as possible, from new holes each 

 time. They were removed to the laboratory and examined imme- 

 diately after collecting them. 



BACTERIOLOGICAL TECHNIC 



Twenty gm. of the silage were placed in 200 cc. of a sterile physiolo- 

 gical-salt solution and thoroughly shaken. The necessary dilutions 

 were made according to standard methods. 



Plain agar was used for determining the total number of microor- 

 ganisms. 



Glucose-acetic-acid agar was used to determine the total number of the 

 Bulgarian types of organisms present. The medium was i per cent 



