82 SILOS, ENSILAGE AND SILAGE. 



the best variety in one locality may not succeed in a large 

 proportion of cases in other localities. It has been the 

 fashion to grow Southern varieties at the North for fod- 

 der corn, from the imposing appearance of the crop, and 

 the large gross weights, in yield, that are obtained. 



To what extent this practice is desirable we have not 

 as yet the data to determine, as quality is quite as 

 important as quantity, and the real value of the crop will 

 largely depend on the amount of dry substance obtained 

 on a given area, and the labor required in its production 

 and management. 



Any increase in the gross weight of the crop that arises 

 from a larger proportion of water, without any marked 

 increase of dry substance, adds to the cost of labor in 

 harvesting and storing it, without any real compensating 

 advantages. Among the varieties frequently mentioned 

 in the current agricultural papers, Southern white and 

 yellow dent ; Southern sweet ; and the B. and W. have 

 perhaps been the most popular, and in many localities, 

 it is possible that either one of them may be better, on 

 the whole, than some of the smaller sorts, but it will not 

 be safe to urge their exclusive use throughout the range 

 in which fodder corn may be profitably raised. 



Some general propositions may be of assistance in 

 making a choice of a variety for fodder corn. In the 

 first place it will be generally admitted that it should be 

 so well adapted to the locality that it will be likely to 

 mature before it is threatened with early frosts. In 

 the absence of other defects, an exuberant leafy growth 

 with stalks of small or medium size may be desirable. A 

 variety that is prolific in grain formation may likewise 

 have advantages in feeding quality. At the extreme 

 North, the medium, or smaller varieties will, undoubt- 

 edly, give better results, on the whole, than the larger 

 Southern varieties that require a long season to mature. 



It seems to be generally admitted that the sweet 



