MAIM UAL OF CATTLE-FEEDINa. 317 



completely as possible. For a more detailed description 

 of the method, the reader is referred to the recently trans- 

 lated work on this snbject by Goffart. "With nnessential 

 modifications it has long been in use in Germany, the pro- 

 duct beins: known as " sour maize " or " sour hay," w^hile 

 if the fodder be partly dried before being stored, it yields 

 ^^ brown hay." 



Advantages of Ensilage. — The chief advantages of 

 ensilage as a method of preserving fodder are, that it is 

 independent of the weather, a great advantage in some lO" 

 calities ; that the fodder is handled when green, and that 

 therefore no loss of the more tender and nutritions paits 

 need be feared ; that the resulting fodder is soft aud easily 

 masticated, and that the fermentation whicli takes place 

 in it renders it, perhaps, more palatable to the animals. 



These are not unimportant advantages, and in many 

 cabes may be snffieient to cause the adoption of the 

 method. On the other hand, ensilage, of itself, adds 

 nothing to the value of the fodder submitted to it, but 

 rather diminishes it. 



Chemieal Changes in Ensilage. — 1\\ the silo a sort 

 of fermentation is carried on at tlie expense of the ex- 

 tractive matters of the fodder, resulting in the formation 

 of various organic acids and volatile bodies, and naturally 

 diminishing the quantity of niti'Ogen-free extract, and 

 thereby increasing the percentage of all the other ingre- 

 dients. 



This is illustrated by the following analyses^of fresh 

 maize and ensilage by Grandeau.^ The two contained re- 

 spectively 86.20 per cent, and 81.28 per cent, of water. 

 The dry matter had the following composition: 



* Jour, d'Agrio. prat., 1875, pp. 77 and 136. 



