590 Journal of Agricultural Research voi. xv, no. h 



difficulty occurred in keeping the bottles sealed. This was finally accom- 

 plished by wiring the rubber stoppers and sealing with paraffin. That 

 this fermentation was quite active was likewise noted by the bursting of 

 several of the stoppered bottles during this stage. Forage siloed in the 

 presence of chloroform failed to show this characteristic fermentation; 

 nor did the material when opened indicate any signs of fermentation 

 common to silage. 



It is a natural assumption that yeasts would reach their maximum 

 numbers and thereby cause an active fermentation in the early period 

 of siloing. This active growth continues until the free oxygen has been 

 consumed. At this stage their growth will be retarded somewhat by the 

 anaerobic conditions produced, and finally checked by the acid fermenta- 

 tion. As a result of this yeast fermentation more or less alcohol is pro- 

 duced, but on account of the presence of the oxygen incorporated in the 

 material when siloed, active growth development is stimulated probably 

 more than alcoholic fermentation. The slow accumulation of alcohol 

 may result from the small number of yeast cells, which persist in the 

 silage for some time, or to zymase liberated from the degenerated yeast 

 cells, or from plant enzyms. 



Sherman and Bechdel {i6), in a late publication pretaining to corn- 

 stover silage give as their opinion that the role of microorganisms is not 

 as important as that of plant cells. The data offered are too meager and 

 of such a character as not to justify their conclusion. 



It is entirely plausible that plant enzyms may cause the protein decom- 

 position noticed in the alfalfa silage. In view of the fact, however, that 

 no such decomposition was observed in alfalfa siloed with chloroform 

 and that chloroform is supposed to offer little injurious action upon such 

 types of proteolytic enzyms, it appears that the cause it to be looked for 

 elsewhere. 



It is suggested that at least a small part of this proteolytic action may 

 result from the ability of the acid producers to utilize protein as a source 

 of energy in the absence of available carbohydrates. This digestive 

 effect of the lactic acid bacilli has been demonstrated by Bertrand and 

 Weisweiller (i), and Heinemann and Hefferan {4). Likewise, Hastings 

 and his coworkers {3) show that from the analyses of pure lactic acid 

 milk cultures, the percentage increase of soluble nitrogen varied from 

 12.5 to 62.5. Hart, Hastings, Flint, and Evans {2) have demonstrated 

 the ability of Bacillus casei to produce ammonia. Hastings found large 

 numbers of the B. bulgaricus group in chedder cheese, and concluded 

 that, since they develop after the fermentation of the sugar, they must 

 have some other source of carbon and energy than milk sugar. 



No study of the anaerobic flora of the silage was made, but it would 

 not be surprising to establish some proteolytic action with an anaerobic 

 flora. 



