The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-01-24
SWEET ENSlLAGE.
With Experience the Farmer May Produce
Sour or sweet Ensilage at Will.

silage as usually made is its acidity,
and although almost all kinds of farm
stock learn to eat it with apparent rel
ish, there are many farmers who object
to fermented food, especially when of
an acid nature, like the ensilage made
from green cornstalks and similar for
age plants. Recently there has been a
good deal said in the English agricul-
tural press about what is called 'sweet
ensilage;" and although most of the at
tempts to make it in this country have
failed, we understand thata few of the
English farmers have been very success
full, and it is thought that, with little
more experience, the farmer may be
enabled to produce either sweet or sour,
enslage at will.
Dr. Voelcker, the eminent chemist,
in recent article published in the Jour
nal of the Royal Agricultural Society,
says: "Some experiments with ensilagc
which l am now conducting personally
convince me fully of the necessity of at
taching the highest importance to the
regulation of the temperature of the
green provender in silos. and in due
time hope to give an account OF these
experiments, which are now in active
progress.
Mr. George Fry, of Chopham, Eng.
in 1888, filled a silo with clover and sew
eral kinds of grass mixed, between the
9TH and 30th of June, the temperature
reeorded at the time of covering being
a L',h - g. ~
4ace. The silo was then weighted with
twelve inches of sand. On July11, and
again on the 18th, the cover was re-
moved, and the silo was filled, with
enough meadow grass TO replenish the
space caused by settling; the tempera-
ture observed at these dates was 40
degrees, at depth of six feet An
other silo was filed with similar forage
and at about the same time, and the re-
sulting ensilage from both is said to
have been free from acidity, sweet, and
of an agreeable, fruity odor, much re-
sembling that of good hay, and was
eaten with apparent relish by cattle,
sheep and horses.
Mr.. Fry has repeatedly directed atten-
ton to the Importance of allowing
green food, when placed in silo, to at
tain temperature not lower than 125
degrees, and if possible, $50 degrees,
before applying pressure. BY securing
such high temperature, he claims that
the ensilage passes through process
which he terms ''sweet" or ''hay" fer
mentation, and the result is sweet in
stead of an ac:d food DR.. Voelcker
says that Mr.. Try is the first man who
has made accurate observations by
pointing out the influence of temper
ature on the production Of
the aromatic fruity smell which
grass, clover and similar green produce
acquire when put into silo without any
pressure beyond that exercised by the
mass of ensilaged green food upon the
lower layers. From these observations
of DR.. Voelcker and the experience of
Mr.. Fry, it would appear that the too
rapid exclusion of air, by weighing the
ensiage as soon as it is put into the silo,
prevents the green food from attaining
a temperature of 125 degrees Fahr.,
below which, in his opinion, sweet or
hay fermentation does not take place,
but, instead, either Tactic or acetic fer
mentation.
But, whatever the cause of the en-.
silage remaining sweet, we are assured
by DR.. Voelcker that it certainly is a
fact that ensilage showing no more than
a trace of acidity, and as sweet and
almost as aromatic as well-made hay,
has been made by Mr.. Fry, and prob
ably can be made by anybody who will
strictly follow the directions given for
making sweet ensilage. This is GER
tainly an important discovery, for if
sweet ensilage can be made as readily
and cheaply as the acid or kraut form,
the greatest objection to this kind OF
food will be removed.
1t is said that most writer's in giving
directions for filling silos, start out with
Liebig's chemical theory of fermenta-
ton, and advise a thorough consolida-
ton of the green fodder as it is put in,
the rapid filling of the silo, and the
covering up and weighing at once,
in order to prevent, as far as posi-
bic, the exposure of the fodder to the
oxygen of the atmosphere, which
is presumed to be the exciting cause of
fermentation. Pasteur, however, has
shown that oxygen itself is not directly
concerned in the process, but that GER
tain living ferments and germs known
as the bacteria of fermentation are
what modify the character of the en-
silage. alt would appear, says DR..
Voelcker, that temperature of about
1875 degrees is sufficiently high to kill
the bacteria which produce acid fer
mentation, and if the bacteria are
killed, and the silo is covered and
weighted, the enclosed mass of green
fodder will remain sweet and practical
ly preserved. just as fruits, vegetables,
or meats are preserved when canned.
Some experiments, however, made in
this country for the purpose of produ-
cling sweet ensilage after the plan of Mr..
Fry, have shown that temperature OF
+-125 degrees does not kill bacteria and
that much greater heat is required;
but there may have been some defect in
the filling of the silo that caused the
failures reported. We are inclined,
however, to believe that some simple
system of producing sweet ensilage will
soon be discovered. even if the one pro
nosad nv Mr. GeOrpe Fry does n ut uroye