129 



per cent which vegetated was lower than that which sprouted in the 

 germinators, the results agree in general. The varieties showing the 

 greatest gerniinative power in the laboratory vegetated best in the field. 

 The results show that farmers can safely guide themselves in the purchas- 

 ing of seed corn by the results of germination tests. The lower results 

 in the field are explained by the horticulturist by the fact that some 

 seeds will germinate but have not strength enough to vegetate. 



The exi)eriments were made on land which had received barn-yard 

 manure at the rate of 15 tons per acre. Each variety was planted on 

 a plat of one twentieth of an acre in four rows. Two alternate rows 

 of each variety were cut when the kernels began to glaze. The weight 

 and height were taken, together with samples for determination of 

 moisture. The other two rows were cut when matured, weighed^ and 

 allowed to field cure. When cured the total weight was taken and the 

 plants divided into four parts, namely, ears, husks and leaves, lower 

 half of stalks or butts, and upper part of stalks or tops. The weight of 

 each of the separated parts was ascertained and a sample of each taken 

 for determination of moisture. 



The results are stated in tables which give the dates of "first tassel," 

 " first silk," " ears beginning to fill out," and " kernels beginning to 

 glaze"; yields per acre of crop as harvested and of dry (water-free) 

 matter at the two i)eriods of harvesting, with separate figures for the 

 ears and stover and for their several parts, corn (kernels), cob, leaves 

 and husks, butts, and tops, 



"The Self-Husking variety was the earliest of the flints. The Queen 

 of the North, Wisconsin Earliest White Dent, Minnesota King, Leam- 

 ing. Queen of the Prairie, and Cleaver, were the dents which matured. 

 They are named in the order in which they matured. The Golden 

 Beauty, Golden Dent, Hickory King, and Champion White Pearl can 

 not be recommended for cultivation for grain in our section. In the 

 southern ])art of the State or in many of the river valleys they may be 

 grown. They are named in order of earliness, although there is but 

 slight difference between them. They would be much earlier than the 

 larger varieties, Chester County Mammoth, Mammoth White Suprise, 

 and White Giant Normandy, grown here in 1888." 



As regards the distribution of dry matter (actual food matter) in 

 different parts of the plants, the results obtained from the field-cured 

 samples show that "fully half of the valuable dry matter is in the ears, 

 and of this nearly one fifth is in the cob. The leaves and husks contain 

 from one fourth to one third of the total, and there is four to five times 

 as nincli of the remainder in the butts or harder and tougher parts, as in 

 the tops. Thns, when fodder is fed whole, there is more or less waste of 

 the butts by the animal. From our results it would seem that this loss 

 would be from 7 to 22 pounds in every 100 pounds of dry matter. Prac- 

 tical experience proves that much of this may be saved by cutting up 

 the cured fodder or putting it in the silo." 



