SILAGE 247 
SILAGE 
In the silo the agriculturist has devised a method of utilizing 
certain food products of which the soil yields large crops, but which 
contain so much water that they lose their value in great measure 
when dried. The silo not only enables him to preserve such food, 
but it impregnates it with new flavors which, in some respects, en- 
hance its value, for it makes a product especially relished by cattle. 
Prepatation.—In the preparation of silage the material to be 
used, most commonly corn not fully ripe, is cut into moderately 
small pieces and packed away firmly as a solid mass, in a tall, air- 
tight compartment. Sometimes the silo is filled quickly, and 
sometimes more slowly, and the rapidity should depend upon the 
rapidity of fermentation. After the silo is filled it is closed at the 
top, and frequently subjected to considerable pressure. The con- 
tents are, thus, largely deprived of air. Air, of course, gets in 
around the top, but there is little or none around the sides or 
bottom, so that only the superficial layers are affected by it. 
Fermentation.—Aiter the packing important and profound 
changes take place in the silage. The first phenomenon to be 
noticed is a rapid rise in temperature, the primary fermentation. 
The extent of this rise is dependent upon the amount of oxygen 
present and the readiness with which the heat is radiated. The 
temperature should not rise above 150°F., and, to give the best 
result, it should be much lower. The proper production of silage, 
however, does not appear to be dependent upon this rise in tem- 
perature, inasmuch as perfectly normal silage may be made in 
small vessels where hardly any rise in temperature is noticeable. 
This high temperature lasts a few days and then the mass 
slowly cools. The production of heat appears to be very rapid for 
a few days, and then somewhat quickly declines; but a less rapid 
evolution of heat continues for a long time, perhaps several weeks. 
After the reduction in temperature other changes begin, which are 
much slower, and after several weeks the character of the material 
