Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1916-09-07
E5HRM BOYS
C0RNeR
WHY THE SILO PRESERVES
GREEN PLANTS

Have you ever thought OF the
strange ways in which the lives of
other people may influence ours
and of how ours may in turn influ-
ence the lives of others?
There was a French farmer, for
example, who lived Within the mem
DRY of Your own parents though
they probably never heard of him,
and who, Notwithstanding he has
been long dead, seems destined even
yet to revolutionize our methods of
farming here in America.
Have you any idea of who it was
or what he did?
His name was Goffart, and he in
vented the modern silo 1t may be
that you feed your cattle from one
through the winter months or in the
summer when pasture is poor; or
if you do not, you have neighborss
WHO do.
Have you ever puzzled your head
over the change that takes place
i'm silo after it has been filled?
Many who have done so have failed
to solve the mystery. The mass of
green stuff which apparently ought
to simply rot down does not do so
at all. Instead it keeps for months,
or even years. Nor is it such puz-
zle at it seems to be.
The chopped feed which goes in
to the silo is more or less filled
with sap, Or juice. If we allow ap-
pie juice to stand for any length of
time, it becomes first hard cider
and then vinegar. After this there
is no change. The sugar which was
in the original juice is converted dn.-
to am acid which is known as acetic.
This acid prevents decay as house
wives know for they use vinegar to
preserve pickles.
You may recall that there is
similar change in milk. At first
it is sweet; but it soon becomes
sour. This is due to lactic acid,
which, like aoetic acid, prevents de-
cay. If it were not for this, milk
would decay and become putrid lust
as does meat
This explains the puzzle of the si-
10. The green plant material which
is put into it contains small per-
celtage of sugar; and this is chang
ed into either Tactic or acetic acid.
both of which are found in silage.
These acids, then, prevent decay so
long as the air is kept away from
the ensilage
Too much sugar III, the plants that
are put into the s.lo would make too
much acid. Then the silage would
be too sour and the animals would
not eat it. This is the reason why
sorghum cane can not be very we'll
used for silage. Also it explains
why plants should not be cut for
slIage when they are too green.
Then the percentage of sugar is
[ high and the silage produced is
somewhat too sour for the best re-
suits.
Many people have wondered why
clover, alfalfa and other similar
plats can not be used for silage
The reason for this, too, depends
directly upon the facts stated above
The leaves OF these plants do not
contain enough sugar. When they
are put into the silo, not enough
acid is produced to preserve the
feed. 1t follows that it quite COM
monty though not always, rots.
This would eot happen III corn, sor-
ghum cane, green rye, or some other
plants that would fuleish the neces-
sary sugar were mixed with the al
talfa or clover as it goes into the
silo. indeed, some farmers follow
this plan and find that it works out
successfully. They say, however. that
considerable of the other plants must
be mixed with the clover or alfalfa.
or the results are not very certain.
Some people think that silage
should not be sour. We can see
from the above that this is a COM
plete mistake. 1t should be sour, but
not too sour.
Next week let us take up the
real value of the silo and of silage
as feed in compassion with other
reeds as shown by the experience of
farmers in the Corn Belt.