68 SILOS AND ENSILAGE. 



important constituents. This statement rests mainly 

 upon the results obtained by Moser at the Vienna Experi- 

 ment Station, an abstract of whose article was presented 

 by Prof. H. P. Armsby, of the Sheffield Scientific School, 

 in the "Country Gentleman," in November, 1880. 



The summing up of the analyses of Moser shows that 

 the corn fodder, as treated by him, lost in the silo from 

 eight to thirty-eight per cent of albuminoids, and a loss 

 of thirteen to fifty-eight per cent of nitrogen-free extract, 

 such as starch, sugar, etc. 



It should be stated that these analyses are not strictly 

 those of ensilage, but of corn fodder made into bundles, 

 placed in the silo at different depths, and surrounded by 

 the cut fodder. A portion of the bundles of fodder 

 were allowed to wilt for a few days before they were 

 buried in the cut fodder, a condition to which ensilage, 

 in this country at least, is not subjected. It is a weL'- 

 known fact that fermentation can not take place without 

 a loss in the material fermented. The object in ensilage 

 is not to encourage fermentation, but to check it. If 

 the silo is perfectly tight, fermentation will cease as soon 

 as the oxygen in the air that is inclosed in the cut fodder 

 is used up. The more perfect the process, the less will 

 be the fermentation, and, of course, the smaller the loss 

 in the constituents of the fodder. That there will be 

 some loss is inevitable, but it will not be claimed that 

 Moser's analyses show what that loss is, in the best con- 

 structed and best managed silos. When that loss of 

 feeding constituents is accurately ascertained, we shall 

 then be able to judge whether or not it is counterbal- 

 anced by the advantages of ensilage. 



The author of the article referred to, Prof. Armsby, 

 in his admirable "Manual of Cattle Feeding," remarks : 

 " Corn being a comparatively cheap crop, the losses of 

 material during the fermentation might be compensated 

 by the improved quality of the residue." 



