LOSSES IN DRY CURING. 



13 



in the fall of 1893, and the "results obtained seemed to 

 indicate that fully a third of the feeding value was lost 

 in the curing. This result was so surprising that the fig- 

 ures were not published, fearing that some error had crept 

 in, though we could not see where there was the possibility 

 of a mistake. 



"In the fall of 1894 the test was repeated on a larger 

 scale. A lot of corn was carefully weighed and sampled;, 

 [t was then divided into three portions; one was spread 

 on the ground in a thin layer, the second part was set up 

 in large shocks, containing about five hundred pounds of 

 green fodder in each, while the rest was shocked in small 

 bundles. After remaining thus for some months, until 

 thoroughly cured, the portions were weighed,; sampled 

 and analyzed separately. The table gives the losses that 

 occurred in the curing. 



"So far as could be told by the eye, there had been 

 no loss. The fodder had cured in nice shape, and the stalks 

 on the inside of the bundles retained their green color, 

 with no sign of molding or heating. And yet the large 

 shocks had lost 31 per cent, of their dry matter, or feed- 

 ing value; the small shocks 43 per cent, and the corn 

 spread on the ground 55 per cent. 



"On breaking oj cutting the stalks these losses were 

 explained. The juice was acid, and there was a very 

 strong acid odor, showing that an active fermentation 



