1901.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT— No. 33. 



39 



CHARACTER OF MATERIAL. 



SOD 



a'c 



13 



Green millet, early to late blossom, . 



Dent corn fodder (in milk) for comparison, 



Millet haj', full blossom,* . . 



Millet hay, full blossom,! .... 



Timothy hay for comparison, . 



Millet silage for comparison, J . 



Millet and soy bean silage 



Corn and soy bean silage, § .... 

 Corn silage for comparison, || 



* Same plot as green material previously given. 

 t Panicum italicum, — a different species of Japanese millet. 

 X No digestion tests have been made. 



§ Pride of North corn (dent) and medium green soy beans, two-thirds former and one- 

 third latter, in excellent condition. 

 II Average dent and flint. 



The green millet appears, from the figures at our disposal, 

 to be as digestible as the fodder corn. 



The millet hay shows a very much less degree of digesti- 

 bility than the same material green. Generally speaking, 

 the mere Avithdrawal of the water is not supposed to aftect 

 digcstil)ility, and this is likely to be the case with young and 

 tender plants and with grains that can be ground fine. In 

 the case of coarse, woody plants the reverse is likely to l)c 

 true. The hardening of the woody stalks in the curing proc- 

 ess, and the less perfect mastication resulting, in all jorob- 

 ability are the most important factors in bringing about this 

 apparent result. AVe hope to make other experiments to 

 still further prove this point. Unfortunately, no figures are 

 on hand for the millet silage. The corn and bean silasre 

 shows al)out 10 per cent, more total digestible matter than 

 the millet and bean silage. The extract matter of the former 

 is noticeably more digestible. The high degree of digesti- 

 bility of the extract matter of the corn and bean silage is 

 explained when one remembers the c()nsideral)le amount of 

 corn grains present. Corn and soy beau silage, as shown 



