29 



LATK MATUKIXG VARIETIES, FOR SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. 



McCoiiucH's Improved Oraii<;e Pride (probably desirable) ; Sweiigel Corn ; Steward's 

 Improved Yellow Deut ('probably desirable) ; Piasa Pride (on fertile river bottoms, 

 probably desirable). 



Experiment No. 2. — Corn,tesf of varieties for ensilage (pp. 88-93). — Bur- 

 rill and Wliitmaii ensilage com (a large, late, or nou-iuaturing soiitheru 

 variety), Burr's White (a coiuinoii, medium-maturing, dent variety), 

 and Breck's Boston Market, were grown (the last on a smaller scale 

 than the other two) in an experimental tield. The details and results 

 are summarized in five tables. 



\Yhen harvested for the silo, the Burrill and Whitman ensilage corn 

 was less mature, its stalks taller, and the total yield of corn fodder per 

 acre much larger than was the case with the Burr's White. But the 

 Burrill and Whitman contained much more water than the Burr's White, 

 the latter having 40.5 per cent, and the former only 27.3 per cent of dry 

 substance. Consequently the total amounts of actually nutritive mate- 

 rial in the two were nearly the same, and the difference in yield was 

 mainl}' in the amounts of water. The differences of composition of the 

 dry substance of the two varieties were not large. The percentage of 

 crude protein was appreciably higher in the Burrill and Whitman en- 

 silage than in the Burr's White, although in each case it was about half 

 that of the average of the American and European analyses on record. 



"As shown in the tables, the Burr's White yielded 23,050 pounds, and 

 the Burrill and Whitman ensilage corn 35,285 pounds of fresh sub- 

 stance, and 9,327 and 9,047 pounds, respectively, of dry substance, equal 

 in weight to the dry substance of about 5^ tons of well-cured timothy 

 hay. 



The Burr's White yielded 324 pounds per acre less of crude fiber and 

 104 pounds more of nitrogeu-free extract (starch, sugar, etc.) than the 

 ensilage corn; while the ensilage corn yielded 4 pounds of crude fat, 

 25 pounds of crude ash, and 74 pounds i)er acre more of crude protein." 



Experiment No. 3. — Corn, time of ijlanting (pji. 93-96). — The object of 

 this experiment was to observe the effect of planting at dilierent dates 

 upon the amount and quality of the crop. 



"Seven plats measuring 2 by 8 rods each were planted with corn, one 

 a week for seven weeks, beginning April 27 and ending June 8, 1888. 

 * * * The hills were 3 feet 8 inches apart. Four kernels of Burr's 

 White dent corn were planted in each hill." 



The details and results are given in tables showing dates of planting, 

 number of hills and plants, methods of cultivation, times when first and 

 when fully in tassel, and other data. The final conclusion is stated as 

 follows: 



This season, therefore, ^ith the variety of corn named, a medium-maturing variety, 

 and good soil and culture, the best results were obtained from planting between May 

 4 and 19, while satisfactory results were obtained during the period of five weeks, 

 from April 27 to June 1. 



