American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-08-06
The Chemistry OF EnSilage.

Why is green, Succulent matter pre-
served from heating and rotting when
stored in Il silo? This question is often
asked, but seldom is an intelligent an
swer given. 1t is claimed that this is
ELECTED by excluding the air on the
same principle that we save fruit by
canning it; but no person with even an
elementary knowledge of the science
of pneumatcS will pretend to form q
vacuum with wood, or brick and NOR
tar, however we'll it may be packed
with clay. Ali writer's on cnsilagc, from
Augu,te GollaIt, who invented the silo.
down to the last newspaper correspon-
dent, speak of the peculiar "vinous
odor' of the provcnler when taken
from the pit. and n writer in the Ne'0
England Farmer, while commenting
the silo, cautions people about going
into newly opened pit, from the dan
gerous accumulation of carbonic acid
that is always present. Add to these
the fact that the analysis Of Prof. Goes
mann shows Il loss of starch and sugar
in the fodder thus preserved, and we
have in all these facts the mode of pres
ervation clearly indicated. Shortly aft
er being packed an iHcipient fermenta-
ton sets in, and the sugar in the green
fodder is decomposed. and equal equiv
alents of carbonic acid arc formed. The
former, being gas, slowly escapes
through the covering of the silo, while
the alcohol combines with. or is dis
solved in, the water present. This
gives the characteristic 'tvinouS odor"
spoken of. With this fermentation be-
gins at once the conversion of starch
into sugar; but special property of
alcohol is to retard or entirely arrest
chemical changes in organic substances.
The partial exclusion OF the air, the low
temperature, and the accommodating
quantity of alcohol finally arrest chem
zeal action till the forage is exposed to
the air and higher temperature, when
the acetic fermentation begins and the
alcohol is rapidly converted into vino
gar and the whole is soon mass Of de-
cay.
Alcohol and low temperature arc
the agents that preserve green veSeta-
Bile matter in a silo. The sugar and
starch, which were converted into car
bonic acid and alcohol, were important
food elements, and it is not probable
that any one at all acquainted with ami
NAL physiology will contend that these
resultant compounds can supply their
place as food.
It is claimed that dairy cows fed on
ensilage give an increased quantity of
milk. and stalled animals fatteii on it
rapidly. Both of these claims are prob
ably founded in fact. That dilute alcO-
hol, as in beer, has the property of in
creasing the secretion of milk has been
long known. but while the quantity is
increased the quality is correspondingly
impaired. 1t is but a few years since it
was claimed that the Stops from a dis
tillery possessed as much fattening
power as DID the corn before it was
distilled; and the claim was sustained
by practical tests. But the pork pack
ers soon dissip rted this illusion by dis
carding still-fed pork rs an unhealthy
product. Fat. butter and cheese pro-
duced under the influence of alcohol,
whether fed in still slops or ensilage,
are not normal products. They are ro-
suits of an effort to dispose of waste
material that in nofli1al of healthy con-
dition should have been consumed by
respiration. 1t is also claimed that this
alcoholic fermentation renders the food
more digestible. But digestion is chem
ical change, and does that which re-
tards change in the silo promote it in
the stomach ?-fndidnG Farmer.