524 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



from the proportionate amouut of the grain which it con- 

 tains, and (4) -from the way in which it has been preserved 

 in the silo. 



Tests conducted at different experiment stations have 

 shown that the method of growth has a marked influence 

 on the bulk product per acre. At the Illinois experiment 

 station, it was found that corn grown with the stalks 3 

 inches apart in the rows, the latter being 44 inches distant 

 from one another, produced 4.8 tons of stover per acre, 

 while corn with the stalks 9 inches apart in rows equally dis- 

 tant produced but 3.1 tons. But with the former, the pro- 

 portion of the stover to each pound of ears was 3.6 pounds, 

 and with the latter 1.5 pounds. The difference, therefore, 

 in the feeding value of equal quantities of silage grown thus 

 will be at once apparent. 



The increase in the dry matter in corn between the 

 milk and the grazing stage is very great. At the experiment 

 station at Geneva, N. Y., it was found that the dry matter 

 in an acre of corn increased from 4,643 pounds when in 

 milk, to 7,202 pounds when glazed. When matured, the 

 dry matter was 7,918 pounds. Since it is claimed that a 

 pound of the dry substance of well matured ensilage has 

 a higher nutritive value than at any previous period in its 

 growth, the influence of maturity on the feeding value of 

 ensilage will be apparent. In some localities, corn cannot 

 be taken past the milk stage for ensilage because of early 

 frosts. 



The proportionate amounts of grain and stover vary 

 exceedingly in ensilage. Corn may be grown so thickly, 

 that it will not produce ears at all, and yet it may make 

 good silage. Again, it may be grown so as to produce 

 nubbins, varying from ears not much below the normal 

 size down to very small. When grown to furnish a maxi- 

 mum amount of ears, more than half the weight of the en- 

 tire crop will be ears. Here again the difference in the 

 feeding value of a pound of silage will be clearly evident. 

 The bearing which this should have upon the amounts of 



