Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


of nutrients in the silo. Analyses of the five samples of fresh for-
age and of silage from the muslin bags were averaged for each
year. The averages are presented in Tables 20 and 21.
 Total weights of the green forage ensiled, of the sound silage
removed, and chemical analyses of the corresponding samples,
were used in calculating the percentage recovery of nutrients in
the silage. These weights and percentage recoveries are shown
in Table 23. The one-ton silos, with the method of packing and
sealing used, had less surface and edge spoilage (none in some
cases), and preserved the nutrients more efficiently than did the
upright concrete silo.
 A comparison of the relative efficiency of the laboratory silos
and the upright concrete silo in preserving the nutrients of the
crotalaria forage in the form of sound silage, is as follows:
 Efficiency of preserving nutrients as silage.
 Dry Crude Ether Crude N-free
Type of silo Matter Protein Extract Fiber Extract Ash
 percent percent percent percent percent percent
Laboratory silo 87 76 131 98 76 97
Upright silo 78 67 98 91 68 94

 The apparent increase in ether extract is due to the forma-
tion of ether-soluble substances by the ensiling process. Little
loss occurred in the ash and in the crude fiber, as would be ex-
pected. Apparently the losses of crude protein and of nitrogen-
free extract are of about equal magnitude in the ensiling of this
group of legumes. These losses were roughly one-fourth of the
protein and nitrogen-free extract in the small silos and one-third
in the larger silo where edge and surface spoilage affected the
efficiency to a greater extent. Although these data are based on
15 records with the small silos and only three records with the
larger silo, yet 15 pairs of samples were involved in each com-
parison.
 Densities of Crotalaria Silages and Silo Capacity with C.
intermedia Silage.-Crotalaria differs from corn, the sorghums, and
many other plants that have been ensiled commercially, in that
the stem structure is less pithy. No seed is contained in the crop
when it has reached the stages of development desirable for har-
vest as silage. At this earlier stage of development usually
more water is present in the plant than in many silage crops.
These facts made it desirable to obtain records as to the capacity