480' Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



to show the amount of non-albumenoid nitrogen. The 

 analyses after the necessary recalculation will be found on 

 Table D. 



On Table E is given the results of analyses of fresh and 

 siloed Lucerne as made by Weiske and others (Bied. Centr., 

 1884, pp. 464-469), and as extracted in the Journal of the 

 Chemical Society of London. The author, however, does not 

 seem to be aware of the presence of nitrogen as ammonia, 

 although the results show a decrease in the albuminous com- 

 pounds after silage. The proportions of albumenoid material 

 there given are high, and may be accounted for by the author 

 having overlooked the presence of free ammonia. Weiske 

 says that " the analyses were conducted in the usual way 

 after the silage had been extracted with cold water," the 

 reason for the extraction being given in the following part of 

 the clause, "and the volatile acids (butyric) estimated in 

 the extract by volatilisation, and the non-volatile (lactic) 

 by titration." It thus appears that the reason for digestion 

 in water was for the purpose of estimating the acidity, and 

 no mention is made (in the extract quoted) as to volatilisable 

 or saline ammonia being in the ensilage. 



A further study of Weiske's results shows that the starch 

 group has also decreased during silage, and that the ether 

 extract has increased much. This last fact is well brought 

 out in Table D as compared with Table C. Consequent on 

 the above changes in composition, we find an increase in the 

 percentages of fibre and mineral matter or ash. This loss of 

 dry matter appears from the above results to vary very 

 much, running in some cases as low as 10 per cent., but 

 in others being as high as 40 to 50 per cent, of the fresh 

 grass. 



The nitrogen can only be derived from the splitting up of 

 the albumenoids, for this is practically the only compound of 

 nitrogen in the plants. True, according to Herren Bungener 

 and Fries (Bied. Centr., 1884, pp. 406-409), a proportion of 

 amide nitrogen is present in the grain of barley, but the 

 total in the dried sample did not exceed so small a propor- 

 tion as to be overlooked. All the analyses of grasses yet 

 published in this country — and they are few — show no 



