88 The Feeding of Animals 



in a mass in a green or wet condition, there is very 

 material loss of dry matter, due to the breaking up of 

 the sugars and other carbohydrates into new compounds 

 under the influence of ferments. This action occurs in 

 the silo, where the sugars are used to form considerable 

 quantities of acids besides water and carbon dioxid. 

 Loss from this cause often occurs in the grain bin, 

 where new grain not sufficiently dry is stored. The 

 sugars in canned vegetables or fruits that are not prop- 

 erly heated or sealed soon disappear, either to be lost 

 in gaseous products or to be converted into compounds 

 of an entirely different character. All such fermeuta- 

 tions result in a diminished food value. Not only is 

 there an actual disappearance of dry matter from the 

 affected material, but this is brought about at the ex- 

 pense of some of the most valuable food compounds. 

 For this reason the farmer should exercise great care 

 in the storage and preservation of his cattle foods. The 

 dangers of loss from these fermentations are greater 

 than is generally appreciated, for the chemist finds that 

 in drying green or wet foods under conditions more 

 favorable than often pertain to farm practice he is un- 

 able to avoid it to a greater or less extent. 



FATS OR OILS 



When any finely- ground feeding stuff, either straw 

 or hay, is submitted to the leaching action of ether, 

 chloroform, or certain other liquids, several compounds 

 are taken into solution, the main and important ones 

 being fats or oils. These bodies make up the chief 



