128 



adaptability of some varieties of field corn to this section, and also to 

 make observations upon the yield of the corn plant at different stages 

 of its growth.* The work was repeated in 1889, especially in the latter 

 direction, the object being to test both the total yields and the amounts 

 of food material (dry matter). In some cases the amounts of nutritive 

 material in the different i)arts of the corn plant at different stages of 

 growth were determined. 



The following varieties were tested : Silage varieties. — Burrill & 

 Whitman Ensilage, Breck's Boston Market Ensilage, Blount's Prolific, 

 Salzer's Fodder or Ensilage, White Southern. Planted for late forage. — 

 Ked Cob Ensilage, Southern Fodder, Stowell's Evergreen. Flints. — 

 Angel of Midnight, Longfellow, Pipe Stem or Top-Over, Self-husking. 

 Bents. — Champion White Pearl, Cleaver, Golden Beauty, Golden Dent, 

 Hickory King, Leaming, Piasa Queen, Queen of the Korth, Queen of 

 the Prairie, Wisconsin Earliest White Dent. 



Silage Varieties. — Four rows (length not stated) of each variety were 

 cut at the time of filling the silos, September 18. " It was the intention to 

 cut them when the kernels began to glaze, but the corn had not reached 

 that stage, and would not before frost. The kernels of the ears in the 

 rows cut were beginning to till out." The product of two of the four 

 rows was weighed and the proportions of dry matter determined ; that 

 of the other two was carefully shocked and field cured, and determina- 

 tions were then made of total weights and proportions of dry matter in 

 ears and stover. The largest yield (of corn cut for silage) was with the 

 White Southern, which gave nearly 27i tons of green crop and nearly 

 12 tons of dry matter i>ev acre. The Burrill & Whitman gave 31 i tons 

 of green material and 5i of dry matter. Breck's Boston Market gave a 

 little less. The smallest yield was with the Salzer's Fodder, which gave 

 24 tons of green crop and only 2.^ of dry matter. The average of the 

 five varieties was 26f tons of green crop and 6 tons of dry matter. 



Varieties planted for late forage. — Tliese were cut when very immature. 

 They ranged from 8.9 tons to 4.9 tons of green crop and from lA tons to 

 f of a ton of dry (water- free) matter. Southern Fodder and Ked Cob 

 Ensilage giving nearly twice as much as the Stowell's Evergreen. 



Flints and Bents. — The germinative power of the seed, relative earli- 

 ness of development and maturity of plants, distribution of food mate- 

 rial (dry matter) in the different parts of the plant, gain of dry mat- 

 ter in maturing, and yields per acre were observed. Comparisons 

 were made of the germiu ating power of the seed in germinators and in 

 the field (See Bulletin No. 8 of the Station, and Experiment Station 

 Record, Vol. I, p. 295). " The germinative power was ascertained in 

 the germinators by Mr. Butz, the horticulturist of the station. As soon 

 as the plants had appeared above ground, and before cultivation, they 

 were counted, and the per cent which vegetated found. Although the 



* PoDDsylvania Station, Report for 1888, p. 26, aud Bulletin No. 7; and Experiment 

 Statiou Record; Vol. I, p. 143. 



