PRESERVATION OF FORAGE 41 



1. Silage may reach its maximum temperature within 

 twenty-four hours, a period much briefer than occurs 

 with bacterial fermentation. 



2. When silage is fully cured, the further evolution of 

 gas is small and mainly stationary. If now the silage 

 be exposed to air, a new fermentation by bacteria and 

 molds will ensue and cause a rise in temperature far 

 above the previous anaerobic fermentation. 



3. Freshly cut corn in air-tight receptacles treated with 

 chloroform, ether or benzol to suppress bacteria, never- 

 theless ferments into silage, though with lower acid content. 



4. Freshly cut corn in air-tight receptacles filled with 

 an inert gas like hydrogen or nitrogen, ferments into 

 silage more slowly and the final product is more acid. 



5. Corn killed by frost will not produce silage, but 

 untreated, decays into an ill-smelling mass, due to bacteria. 

 Treated with ether to destroy the bacteria, the frozen 

 corn retains all the characteristics of green corn. 



6. The gas given off during silage fermentation is mainly 

 carbon dioxide, but in the case of clover silage, also con- 

 tains hydrogen. Nitrogen is apparently given off in 

 small quantities in all silage fermentation. 



From the above facts, silage fermentation is ascribed 

 to respiration of the green tissues probably of an en- 

 zymatic nature and not at all due to bacteria or fungi. 

 In silage exposed to the air fermentation by the latter will 

 occur, but it is always undesirable and destructive. 



33. Advantages of silage. - - The preservation of 

 forage as silage possesses a number of advantages, 

 especially with coarse plants like corn and sorghum. 

 Among these advantages are : 



1. Silage preservation saves all of the forage in edible 

 form. The loss both in preserving and feeding is very small. 



