280 THE SOILS AND CROPS OF THE FARM. 



kernels have become fairly hardened. If to be put 

 into the silo it may be cut at a somewhat earlier 

 stage. Ensilage is best preserved if the crop is cut 

 when it has neither a great nor small percentage of 

 water in it. 



The young and rapidly growing corn-stalks have 

 very little dry matter in them. In experiments at 

 the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station it was 

 found that when the stalks of a medium sized dent 

 variety had reached half the total height they had but 

 one- fourteenth as much dry matter as when fully 

 matured, and when they were in full tassel only 

 about one-third as much. Early cutting involves a 

 considerable loss of possible feeding value of the 

 crop, but gives a very palatable food, often produced 

 more cheaply than any other crop of equal value. 



The larger varieties of sweet corn are sometimes 

 grown as a fodder crop. They have the advantages 

 of early maturity and of greater palatability than 

 the ordinary field corn varieties. The chief objection 

 is that the yield is relatively small. They may be 

 planted more thickly in the rows and with the rows 

 closer together than when larger varieties are used. 

 Many growers of corn for ensilage prefer the large, 

 late maturing varieties grown as field corn in some 

 of the Southern states. On fertile land and with good 

 culture enormous yields are secured. The stalks are 

 sweeter than those of the medium sized dent varieties. 

 An objection is that a longer season is required for 

 maturing and there is danger of injury from frost 

 in Northern states if the crop is not cut until the 

 ears have somewhat matured. Many farmers prefer 

 to use the larger varieties of field corn adapted to 



