Mar. 6, 1917 
Fermentation of Corn Silage 
37 i 
which in this case produced sugar from higher carbohydrates faster than 
the sugar was used. The development of acids is remarkably small, 
due perhaps to the 
slight opportunity for 
inoculation with acid¬ 
forming organisms. 11 
is unfortunate that a 
larger number of jars 
was not filled in this 
experiment so that the 
later progress of acid 
formation could have 
been followed. Since 
there is no possibility 
in this series that the 
formation of acetic 
4 
DAYS 
Fig. 5.—Curves showing the development of acidity in series 2. 
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acid complicates the question of alcohol formation, some interesting 
observations are possible. The alcohol curve (fig. 8) after beginning like 
an enzymic curve takes 
another abrupt rise be¬ 
tween the first and sec¬ 
ond days, probably 
when the yeasts become 
more active. The con¬ 
comitant production of 
carbon dioxid in the 
silage of this series was 
also measured. (The 
data are given on page 
374.) The carbon- 
dioxid curve (fig. 13) 
shows the same trend 
throughout as the alco- 
DAYS hoi curve, including 
Fig. 6. Curve showing the disappearance of sugars in series 2. tfae rise j ust . mentioned 
between the first and second days. The carbon dioxid : alcohol ratios 
show a general increase as the fermentation progresses, as follows: 
Age of silage (days). % 1 2 4 7 
Ratio. 1:0.51 1:0.61 1:0.86 1:0.79 1:0.97 
This increase might be either because the yeasts are taking an in¬ 
creasingly greater part in the fermentation and the ratio therefore 
approaches the ratio of the ordinary alcoholic fermentation, or because 
carbon dioxid from other reactions is included in the amount evolved 
during the first few days. Of course, the above is the result of but a 
single experiment on this point. 
