CONSERVATION OF FEEDING-STUFFS 129 



of the organic matter, 22-3% of crude protein, 417% 

 of pure protein, 21-1% of crude fibre, and 17-5% 

 of nitrogen-free extract. Beet tops and leaves which 

 had lain 4^- months in a pit silo lost 49% of dry 

 matter, 63% crude protein, 74% pure protein, 33% 

 crude fibre, 43% nitrogen-free extract, and 67% 

 mineral substances. In a water-tight silo, where 

 the juices could not drain away, the losses were 

 considerably less, being only 18% of dry matter, 

 16% of nitrogen-free extract, and 32% crude fibre. 

 Even here, though, the changes which the protein 

 had undergone were considerable, 66% of the 

 proteins being changed into non-protein substances. 

 According to other observations, sliced beetroots, 

 after being seven months in a walled silo, lost 22% 

 of organic matter, in an un walled silo 35%. Potatoes 

 lost, in six months, 19-36%, mangels, 32%, and 

 beet leaves 31%. The losses increase with the 

 time of storage; the loss of organic matter from 

 steamed potatoes made into sour fodder, after fifty 

 days, was 13-4%, after seventy-six days 18-3%, 

 and after one hundred and forty days 22-4%. It 

 must be noted too that the losses fall principally 

 upon the easily digestible portion of the food. An 

 example is given in the case of sainfoin made in one 

 case into hay, and in the other into silage; the 

 digestibility coefficient of the organic matter in 

 the hay was 62, whilst in the silage it was only 45. 

 In view of the heavy losses which are associated 



