CHAPTER XXV 



THE SUCCULENT ROUGHAGES 



The Silo and Silage Crops 



Making silage is a method of food preservation. Decay of food 

 is caused by the action of minute organisms, bacteria, yeasts and 

 molds. There are three common methods of preserving food. 

 The organisms are not active where moisture is not present, thus 

 food may be preserved by drying. This is the method we employ 

 in curing hay. Neither are the organisms active at low tempera- 

 tures, thus fruits and vegetables are stored in cold cellars. We 

 store roots for winter feeding 

 in a similar manner. Finally 

 the absence of air is another 

 preserving factor. Making si- 

 lage is based on this principle. 

 At the start there is consider- 

 able action by the micro-organ- 

 isms due to a certain amount 

 of air present, but the action 

 stops at a definite point as will 

 be described. 



360. Keep out the air.— 

 When a green forage is so 

 packed in a closed space as to 

 exclude most of the air, fer- 

 mentation sets in and the 

 sugars present are largely 

 changed to acids. The proc- 

 ess is similar to the forma- 

 tion of vinegar. When a cer- 

 tain amount of acid is formed 

 fermentation stops and the 



The Stave Silo 

 Notice power pulley for filling. 



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