Agricultural Research in New Hampshire 27 



Grain or Field Corn. Forty varieties and h\brids were planted in 

 three replications each, on May 17, 1944, at the Bunker Farm. Each rep- 

 lication was made up of 18 hills and each hill was thinned to three plants, 

 thereby insuring uniformity. The proven "checks" included two un- 

 named local flint varieties: three dent-flint hybrids, Maine "A," Maine 

 "B." and Wisconsin 240; and two open-pollinated dents. New Hamp- 

 shire 500 and Cornell 11. 



The ears were harvested on October 9 and 10, and each replication 

 yield was weighed separately. Four ears were selected at random from 

 each row to be dried down to a uniform moisture content and later to 

 be used for the basis of calculating the moisture loss and yield per acre 

 on a uniform moisture basis. 



The 1944 grain yields were not up to the excellent yields of the 

 1943 season, due to a lack of rainfall. There was a tendency of less dif- 

 ference in yields; nevertheless, interesting differences appeared \\hich 

 decidedly favored the better adapted hybrids. Of the 40 varieties in the 

 trials only the first 25 showed reasonable uniformity of yields in all rep- 

 lications. 



In addition to the replicated corn silage and grain trial varieties, 15 

 new hvbrids were grown for observation in single rows of 24 hills each. 

 Half of each row was harvested for silage and the remaining hills for 

 grain. Those that showed promise will be used in the 1945 corn trials. 



L. J. HiGGIXS 



DAIRYING 



Nutrition Studies with Dairy Cows 



This project has as its broad objective a study of the nutritive value 

 of pure stands of various grasses and legumes when used as pasturage for 

 lactating dairy cows. 



Specifically, it provides for a determination, by means of digestion 

 and metabolism balances, of the digestible protein and of the metaboliz- 

 able energy of successive cuttings of fresh clipped grass as a first step, 

 and of the physiological utilization of these nutrients in the production 

 of milk as a final objective. 



Beginning with timothy, the first year's study has been completed. 

 However, due to loss of critical personnel to War Services, it was done 

 in a much modified form from the proposed project. The lactation 

 phase had to be deferred and dry co\\ s used instead. A second interfer- 

 ence ^\■as imposed by the severe drought \\hich limited the study to one 

 cutting instead of two or more successive cuttings as planned. But this was 

 partly ofl^set by a cutting of hay from the same field of which a similar 

 study was made. However, two digestion and metabolism experiments 

 were carried out on the grass which was clipped daily from June 5 to 17, 

 and two similar experiments were carried out on the hay which was cut 

 on June 28 (after heading), and cured under favorable conditions. 



The digestible protein was found to be 1.90 pounds and the total 

 digestible nutrients 20 pounds per 100 pounds of fresh clipped grass. This 



