478 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



have been coated with an air-tight skin of cement — the 

 excliisioii of air being a necessary condition of success. 



The samples of ensilage to which I am desirous of direct- 

 ing your attention are five in number. Nos. 1 and 2 are 

 from silos constructed in Midlothian, whilst the remaining 

 samples come from the neighbourhood of Arbroath. 



ISTos. 1 and 2 samples consisted of very coarse herbage, 

 being a mixture of grasses with reeds, rushes, etc., and with 

 one or two of the flowers (Eanunculacese, etc.), which are 

 found in low or boggy ground. 



No. 3 sample was labelled as " a mixture of rye-grass and 

 clover" and contained, besides the Loliums, other grasses, 

 especially Hordeums, Poas, Holcus, and Dactylis, with 

 Trifoliums and other flowering plants, especially members of 

 the Kanunculacese. 



No. 4 sample was "a mixture of green barley and old 

 pasture.'' I have identified Poas, Phleum, and Holcus, but 

 the condition of the material and the few flowering heads 

 present renders the naming of species difiicult. 



No. 5 sample was one made from the cuttings of the 

 "grass from lawns," and contained the usual Poas, Holcus, 

 Phleums, Festuca, etc. 



In making the analyses of these samples, the usual 

 methods were followed, — the substances determined being 

 the percentages of moisture, ether extract (or fatty and acid 

 substances), albuminous substances as determined from the 

 nitrogen present, starch, gum or mucilage and sugar, woody 

 fibre, and ash or mineral matter. The results are given in 

 Table A. 



It is difficult to compare these results with each other, or 

 with fresh grasses, as the proportion of moisture present 

 varies to so great an extent, and I have therefore recalculated 

 the results as free from that ingredient. The figures are to 

 be found on Table B. 



On comparing these results with those given in Table C 

 (the results of the analyses of forage grasses as given by 

 various chemists) it will be noted that the ensilage differs 

 much from the fresh material. The oil or ether extract is 

 higher in the ensilage, whilst the albuminous compounds are 



