Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-01-11

We are much puzzled yet to account for
the changed condition in which we find
the ensilage we have seen seen, as COM
pared with that which NJ. Golf trt claims
to have secured rs we noted last week,
i. E., with no fermentation.
Every sample we have seen has passed
to the acc ic stage of fermentation, which
NJ Goff,rt says it should never be allowed
to reach. an still with it in this condition
the feeders are enthusiastic over the re.
suits they have achieved.
The process of fermentation in enslage
is much like that of cider. The sugar in
the Juice is changed 10 alcohol, which is
termed the alcoholic fermentation, which
is succeeded by the acetic, in which the
alcohol is changed into acetic acid or
vinegar. As NJ GoffIrt says, fermenta
ton preserves nothing. Each change in
it is another step towards decomposition
and entire destruction. He says in one
place, "When my maize had contracted
in nv imperfect silos alcoholic fermenta.
ton h1stened to have it eaten up rs soon
as possible RAJ her than see it pass to acetic
fermentation"
In some Of the silos we have visited
can conceive of no more thorough or per
feet work in building than is done there
Excav4ted for twenty feet in the htrdpan
under his burn. the fodnda,i)n of walls
and bottom alike solid bed Of mlsonry,
the walls of brick laid in cement aud
cemented insi 10, we cannot see what il
lacking in instruction. TO be sure the
corners are square, while in M, GJff lrt's
there are no square corners, the ends bein 9
part of circle, but such change in the
enSiltge can hardly be lttrib tied to Il
change of form in the silo; nor can it be
attributed to another cause to which G)f-
fart laid something of his failures, viz
cutting the 70 ider too long. for Cot lrt
cuts his four-tenthS of IN inch. while what
we have seen w 10 cut about three ei9hths
of an inch. Mr. cln it be- from Lack OF
pressure, for Goff lrt puts on his Z" four OF
five killogrtmmes of stones per square
metre of surface" which equals less thar
one hundred and twenty five pounds pei
square foot of surface ut his highest estl
mute while Governor Smith put on nearly
double that amount ami Mr.. Holiste
quite double; and still the ensilage has
reached the acetic state of fermentation.
One Of the chiefe1t objections raised by
opponents of ensllage here has been the
loss of considerable food values by thi|
change from fermentation; and wa must
selrch till the cause be found AMI thu
remedy applied; till we can say as NJ
G,ff rt loes: "Bv my first processes
obtaine only temp)r ry and incomplete
preservation; with my last | obtained a
preserva ion indefinite and absolute
When this is retche we sh HI prob IDLY
helr less of carrying eighty-tive p,r cen
of water to the barn to get fifteen psi
cent of folder with it, for if stock will
thrive on it who cures whether it be- water
or something else which they thrive upon!
Finally, we must say thtt our faith in
enSilage which ut the first W Is less than a
grain of mu 3tarl seed. has very mtterial
ly increased as we have tigated the
mltler, and has nov attained to very
respectable proportions. and we predic
its general use in Vermont in ten years.