Indian Corn as a Forage Plant. 



167 



In studying the foregoing table the reader should bear in mind 

 the great increase in dry matter which occurs as the plant ripens. 



239. Total nutrients of the corn crop. — The preceding table 

 would be misleading were it not followed by another showing the 

 total nutrients in the crop at different periods of maturity: 



Water and nutrients in an acre of corn at different stages of matu- 

 rity — New York (Geneva) Station. 



Per acre. 



Ripe, 



Sept. 



23. 



Yield 



Water 



Dry matter 



Ash 



Albuminoids 



Crude fiber 



Nitrogen-free extract 

 Ether extract 



Lbs. 



28,460.0 



20,542.0 



7,918.0 



364.2 



677.8 



1,734.0 



4,827.6 



314.3 



From the above we learn that the crop increased about 10,000 

 pounds in weight between tasseling and maturing. Of this increase 

 about 4,000 pounds were water, the remainder being dry matter. 

 The dry matter in the crop, which amounted to only 1, 600 pounds 

 at tasseling time, increased to 7,900 pounds when the corn waa 

 ripe. The analyses show that between the milk and the glazing 

 stages and on to the final period of ripening there is a constant 

 and remarkable increase in the nutrients stored by this plant. 



240. Changes in protein. — Ladd also made a study of the albu- 

 minoid and amide nitrogen in the crop with the following results: 



Albuminoid and amide nitrogen of the ripening corn crop — New 

 York (Geneva) Station. 



Date. 



July 30 

 Aug. 9 

 Aug. 21 

 Sept. 7 

 Sept. 23 



Stage of maturity. 



Tasseled 



Silked 



Kernels in milk, 



Corn glazed 



Com ripe 



Total 

 nitrogen. 



Lbs. 



38.4 



69.9 



77.6 



103.0 



108.5 



Albu- 

 minoid 

 nitrogen. 



Lbs. 



27.4 

 44.6 

 66.4 

 78.5 

 91.1 



Amide 

 nitrogen. 



Lbs. 



11.0 

 25.2 

 17.3 

 24.5 

 17.4 



