1905.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 83. 



69 



The total dry matter of the soy bean fodder appears to be 

 slightly less digestible than that of other legumes, — clover, 

 Canada field peas and cow peas, — due to its characteristic 

 hard, woody stems. Attention is called to the fact that the 

 digestion coefficient of the fiber in the soy beans is relativeh^ 

 low (39 and 46 per cent.), as compared with those for the 

 clover and cow peas (54 and 60 per cent.). Soy beans will 

 find their chief use in the farm economy as a soiling and 

 silage crop. This subject will be discussed more fully at a 

 later date. 



Eureka Silage Corn. — This was a large southern dent 

 variety, 12 to 13 feet tall, which is held in high esteem for 

 silage pur})oses by the farmers of Worcester County. It is 

 claimed that it will produce several matured ears to each 

 stalk under average summer conditions. The season of 

 1903 was noticeably cool, and when the corn was cut, Sep- 

 tember 12-18, it was quite green, the kernels just forming. 

 This variety is being further studied during the present 

 season (1904), and its value as compared with the smaller 

 varieties will be discussed in a subsequent report. 



The three sheep showed only slight variations in their 

 ability to digest the corn. The following figures show the 

 average results of all trials with immature dent varieties, as 

 compared with Eureka. The results are quite similar, ex- 

 cept that the fiber in case of the Eureka showed a slightly 

 low^er digestibility. 



Nummary of Experiment (^Per Cent.^. 



Apple Pomace. — In the sixteenth report of this station 

 (pp. 63-80) are given the results of a digestion test with 

 apple pomace. In that experiment the pomace was fed 

 with a reasonable quantity of hay. In the ])resent trial a 

 smaller amount of hay was fed, and in addition each sheep 



