216 The Feeding of Animals 



by several investigators, and, as was to be expected, 

 it has beep found to depend greatly upon the condi- 

 tions involved, the figures reached varying from about 2 

 per cent to nearly 40 per cent of the dry matter of the 

 fresh crop. In a majority of cases the loss has been 

 over 15 per cent and less than 20 per cent. Professor 

 King, of the Wisconsin Experiment Station, who has 

 given the production of silage much study, concludes 

 upon the basis of his observations that in good prac- 

 tice the necessary reduction of dry matter in making 

 corn silage need not exceed 4 to 8 per cent, and with 

 clover silage from 10 to 18 per cent. The necessary 

 loss is explained as being that which occurs in the 

 interior of the mass where all outside air is excluded 

 and other favorable conditions prevail. Considering 

 the contents of the silo as a whole, it will require care- 

 ful attention to all details in order to reach Professor 

 King's estimate with the best conditions attainable. 



This investigator found that 64.7 tons of silage 

 packed in a silo lined with galvanized iron, thus secur- 

 ing a perfect exclusion of air, lost an average of 6.38 

 per cent of dry matter. This silo was filled in eight 

 detached layers, and the proportion of loss in these sev- 

 eral divisions, as affected by location, is most suggestive: 



Surface layer. . . 8,934 Ibs., lost 32.53 per cent dry matter 



Seventh layer . 8,722 " '' 23.38 



Sixth layer 14,661 " " 10.25 



Fifth layer. ... 48,801 " " 2.10 



Fourth layer ...13,347 " " 7.01 



Third layer 7,723 " " 2.75 



Second layer... 12,689 " " 3.53 



Bottom layer ...12,619 " " 9.47 



