In 1883 Mr George Fry, F.L.S. described a series of observations which he had made upon silage. From these he drew the conclusion that if the conditions of silage making were such that the temperature exceeded 45° C. sweet brown silage resulted, but that if the temperature failed to rise above 40° C. then sour silage with a rather repulsive odour was produced. These results were obtained in the type of silos then commonly in use, which varied in depth generally between 12 and 18 feet, frequently had a considerable surface area and were filled comparatively slowly.

Experiments have been described which had primarily as their object the investigation of the effect of varying moisture content in the green oat and tare crop on the type of silage produced from such forage. The magnitude of the changes affecting the constituents of the green crop under the different conditions of ensilage have also been detailed.

The main conclusions are summarized below:

The assumption that plants feed in the soil just as they feed in water culture solution is unjustified and contrary to the facts. In modification of the usual hypothesis two possibilities are discussed.

1. The absorption of colloids by the plant.

2. The union of the root hair with soil and other mineral particles (so that the plant and the soil form one system) and the dissolution of the particle by the organic matter of the root hair so attached.

It was recently suggested by the writer that the neutral salt test for sourness in soils could be adapted for rapid qualitative purposes by using an alcoholic solution of potassium thiocyanate. This reagent becomes coloured in contact with soils deficient in strong bases, because of the presence of iron among the weak bases which are brought into solution from such soils by neutral salts.

In support and extension of the conclusions drawn in the earlier papers the following facts and deductions are submitted:

1. The only sparingly soluble substance, from a random collection examined, whose suspensions showed the same abnormal flocculation by calcium hydroxide that is shown by clay, were certain phosphates of iron aluminium and calcium. The abnormal flocculation of these phosphates is open to an explanation quite analogous to that already advanced for the flocculation of clay.

2. Until the amount of calcium hydroxide added to a suspension of clay or phosphate reaches a certain amount its abnormal flocculating power is not manifested. The amount required to produce the abnormal flocculation is greater for a fat clay than for a lean one. This is in agreement with the view that the abnormal flocculation is caused by a coagulation of emulsoid matter, for obviously such coagulation will not become dominant until a sufficient amount of the precipitant has been added.

3. The lime absorbed by a soil can be wholly and completely removed by a dilute acid treatment which cannot very appreciably decompose the unweathered minerals. It is therefore concluded that the absorption of lime by a soil is an absorption by the soil colloids and not by the unweathered minerals.

4. The ignition of a soil for a few minutes over a bunsen flame increases the amounts of iron and aluminium dissolved by acid. Evidence is brought to show that this is due to a destruction of the colloids which bind the particles together, and a consequent exposure of a larger surface.

5. The effect of a partial ignition on the base absorbing power of soils and subsoils is described and the results are claimed to be in agreement with the view that the particles in the aggregates are bound together by gelatinous colloidal matter.

Few reliable figures (1) exist at the present time which show the relative qualities of the various British breeds of pigs in respect of their ability to put on weight and the relative proportions of meat and offal in the carcases. Weights and carcase percentages of German breeds have been published by the German Agricultural Society (2).