798 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXIV. No. 9 
ACIDITY OF SWFFT CLOVER SILAGE 
methods of obtaining samples and determining acidity 
The silage was removed from the containers and 50 gm. were imme¬ 
diately weighed out and dried at 100° C. to determine the moisture 
content. The remaining silage was placed in a hydraulic press and the 
juice pressed out. Then 100 gm. of the juice was placed in a vacuum 
steam distilling flask, together with 5 cm. of normal sulphuric acid. The 
volatile acids were separated from the nonvolatile acids by distilling 
in a current of steam in a partial vacuum. Four liters of the distillate 
were collected, which contained all the volatile acids. The distillate was 
neutralized with one-tenth normal barium hydroxid and evaporated 
to a small volume. The volatile acids were then freed from the barium 
salts by the addition of the theoretical amount of sulphuric acid. After 
filtering the barium sulphate, the solution was made up to volume 
and the volatile acids were quantitatively determined, using the methods 
described by one of the authors in a former publication. 
Total acidity was determined by titrating 10 gm. of expressed juice 
with one-tenth normal barium hydroxide. Nonvolatile acid was deter¬ 
mined by subtracting the centimeters of volatile acids found in 100 gm. 
of silage juice from the total acidity determination. The difference was 
calculated as lactic, or nonvolatile acid. The results of the volatile 
and nonvolatile acids are given in Table II, on the silage both with and 
without moisture. 
TablF II .—Acidity of sweet clover silage 
Variety. 
Stage of cutting. 
Height 
of 
sweet 
clover. 
Acre 
yield. 
Amoimt of acids in loo gm. wet 
silage. 
Acetic. 
Pro¬ 
pionic. 
Lactic. 
Total. 
Yellow . 
Do. 
White. 
Do. 
Do. 
In blossom. 
In blossom and partly in s^ed. 
Before blossoming. 
Beginning to blossom. 
In full blossom. 
In. 
37 
37 
49 
60 
60 
Tons. 
II. 7 
lo- 9 
21 
14 
16.8 
Per ct. 
0.371 
.694 
•51S 
•333 
•332 
Per ct. 
0. on 
•054 
•013 
. 021 
• 023 
Per ct. 
I- 399 
• 853 
1-353 
I. 250 
I. 642 
Per ct. 
I. 781 
I. 601 
1. 881 
I. 604 
1.997 
Variety. 
Stage of cutting . 
Height 
of 
Acre 
Amount of acids in loo gm. dry 
silage. 
sweet 
clover. 
yield. 
Acetic. 
Pro¬ 
pionic. 
Lactic. 
Total. 
Yellow. 
Do. 
White. 
Do. 
Do. 
In blossom. 
In blossom and partly in seed. 
Before blossoming. 
Beginning to blossom. 
In full blossom. 
In. 
37 
37 
49 
60 
60 
Tons. 
• II. 7 
10. 9 
21 
14 
16.8 
Per ct. 
1. 520 
2. 516 
2.167 
1.348 
I-133 
Per ct. 
0.043 
. 020 
. 06 
.09 
. 08 
Per ct. 
s- 728 
3.091 
5-699 
4- 063 
5 - 599 
Per ct. 
7. 291 
5.627 
7.926 
5 - 501 
6. 812 
DISCUSSION 
A comparison between the white and yellow sweet clover shows that 
the former is the higher yielding variety. It must be borne in mind that 
both varieties were grown side by side, hence were subjected to the same 
climatic and soil conditions. The white sweet clover produced a taller 
and bushier plant than the yellow, which accounts for its greater yield. 
