EXPERIMENTS WITH ACID BACILLI IN SILOS. 193 



acts directly upon sugars, and ten days after the silo is filled no 

 further bacterial fermentation goes on. If sufficient acidity is not 

 soon attained by the two fermentation processes, a putrefactive 

 fermentation sets up, with formation of ammonia, butyric acid 

 and other malodorous compounds. 



The conclusions drawn by Sig. Samarani are that it is neces- 

 sary to avoid over-heating the fodder In order to limit the acetic 

 fermentation and thus to leave the decomposition of the sugar 

 chiefly to the lactic fermentation process. In Italy mechanical 

 pressure is used to expel all air from the silo after which the tem- 

 perature rises with difficulty and the lactic fermentation is pro- 

 moted at the expense of the acetic fermentation.. To promote 

 lactic fermentation or to prevent unsuitable fermentation he ad- 

 vises, as in the treatment of grass, the addition to the silage of 

 a dilute solution of milk sugar. 



Transferring Silage — Silo Foundations. 



The condition of the ground determines the kind of foundation 

 for the silo. But if the silo happens to be built on ground that 

 gives way and becomes uneven under the weight of the silage, 

 there is danger that the silo will lean or, still worse, may tip over. 

 Under such conditions will it be possible to save the silage either 

 by feeding It out from the silo itself or by transferring it to 

 another silo? Can silage be successfully transferred from one 

 silo to another, or will It be lost through spoilage? 



This condition actually occurred in connection with the first 

 stave silo built at the Panama Pacific Exposition for supplying 

 silage to the show stock. It began to lean heavily within twenty- 

 four hours after being filled with Indian corn in the fall of 1914. 

 Prof. F. W. "WoU, who exhibited corn silage in one gallon museum 

 jars at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago which kept in a, per- 

 fect condition for at least ten years afterward, was called into 

 consultation. He recommended that after the three or four weeks 

 necessary for the fermentation processes to complete their \(rork, 

 the silage be transferred to another silo. This was done, the silage 

 being emptied through a chute, wheeled to the silage cutter 

 and blown into another silo. Special care was taken to transfer 

 the silage as rapidly as possible and repack it thoroughly, cement 

 tampers being used. The spoiled silage which formed the top 



