120 Feeds and Feeding. 



therefore more palatable than the wheat grain, for instance, which 

 on crushing and mingling with saliva turns to a sticky dough. 



154. Races of corn. The races of corn of interest to stockmen 

 are embraced under the terms "Dent," "Flint/ 7 and "Sweet." 

 In dent corn the starchy material is floury in character, except a 

 small portion near the exterior, which is corneous or flinty. In 

 flint corn most of the starch has a corneous character, which 

 is plainly revealed when the grain is cut across. Though different 

 in appearance the corneous portion is chemically the same as the 

 floury part. Dent and flint corns are practically of the same 

 chemical composition. The flint varieties flourish along the 

 northern rim of the corn belt with its cooler climate; dent corn 

 flourishes where a higher temperature prevails. By planting one 

 variety or another, corn may be profitably grown in every state 

 in the Union. It is said that flint corn when carried from its 

 northern home to southern districts gradually changes to dent, 

 while under reverse conditions dent varieties assume the char- 

 acteristics of flint corn. 



It is often asserted that yellow corn is more nutritious than 

 white, and sometimes the opposite is claimed. There is nothing 

 in chemical analysis or experience to warrant either assumption. 

 It is doubtless true that some varieties of one kind are superior 

 to certain varieties of the other, but no uniform rule prevails. 



Sweet corn is characterized by hard, wrinkly grains, due to 

 shrinkage in drying and their corneous character. The table 

 shows that sweet corn is somewhat richer in protein than corn of 

 other races. It does not yield quite as much digestible carbohy- 

 drates, the difference being more than made up, however, by the 

 larger content of fat and protein. The grain of sweet corn con- 

 tains considerable glucose while ripening, and this adds much to 

 its palatability, though not necessarily to the nutritive qualities, 

 since sugar has the same feeding value as starch. 



155. Corn a carbonaceous food. The leading characteristic of 

 the corn grain is the large proportion of starchy matter, coupled 

 with the rather low protein content and a low percentage of 

 ash. Compared with wheat, corn has somewhat less carbohy- 

 drates, less protein, but more oil. Much of the oil and protein is 



