458 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ripeness there was a gain in this respect of over one-eighth. To secure 

 the greatest yields of dry matter from an acre of corn it is necessary to 

 allow the crop to stand until fully mature with the kernels fully glazed 

 and some of the earlier ears nearly, if not quite, ripe. 



Both the albuminoid nitrogen and the total protein increase rapidly 

 up to the time when the kernels are glazing. Thereafter there seems 

 to be no gain in the yield of protein, although there is a slight change 

 of the amide nitrogen to the albuminoid form. 



The increase in nitrogen-free extract between early glazing and ripe- 

 ness is more than one-sixth. The increase in fat in the same time is 

 more than a fifth. 



It is evident that the results of this experiment go to show that to 

 secure the greatest yields per acre of valuable nutrients the corn should not 

 be harvested until fully glazed and until the early ears are well ripened. 



LOSSES IN THE SILO WITH CORN CUT AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF GROWTH. 



The four hundred hills of corn cut August 10 and 25 and September 6 

 and 15, less the fifteen stalks in each case taken for analysis, -were put in 

 small silos as soon as harvested, running the corn first through a cutting 

 box which cut the stalks into pieces a half inch long. These small silos 

 were built of upright staves, held togther by steel hoops. They were six 

 feet in diameter and ten feet deep. They were situated on the south and 

 east sides of the cow stable, outside the barn, and hence were exposed 

 to the severe weather of winter. It was on this account deemed advis- 

 able to empty the silos before winter set in. The silage cut August 10, 

 was put in the bottom of silo No. 1, filling the silo about half full. As 

 soon as put in, it was covered with a layer of building paper on which 

 was placed a cover of two inch plank, matched, which was fitted to the 

 silo and excluded the air except at the edges, which were covered by 

 the building paper. A ton of pig iron was put on the cover. 



The silage cut August 25 was also put in Silo No. 1. On the removal 

 of the cover and the building paper no spoiled silage was found. The 

 building paper was replaced to mark the division between the two lots. 

 The silage filled the silo completely and was covered with building paper 

 and the plank cover put on and the weights added. 



In the same way the silage cut September Gth was put in the bottom 

 of Silo No. 2, covered with building paper and a tight fitting cover, and 

 heavily weighted. The silage cut September 15th w T as put into the top of 

 Silo No. 2, removing of course the weights and wooden cover and leav- 

 ing the building paper to mark the division betwen the two samples, and 

 was covered and weighted in the same manner as Silo No. 1. 



