19S 



Agricultural Chemistry. 



The decrease in protein at the last stage is marked. These 

 data indicate that the most favorable mean between quantity and 

 quality of crop will be secured by cutting grasses and clovers 

 between early and full bloom. 



With corn, conditions are different. Analyses at the Maine 

 Experiment Station gave the following data: 



Composition of Dry Matter of Corn Plant. 



The material increase in starch and other digestible carbo- 

 hydrates more than offsets the relative decrease in crude protein 

 and is accompanied moreover by a decrease of crude fiber. Feed- 

 ing experiments moreover have shown that mature corn is more 

 digestible than the immature plant, both as fodder and as silage. 



Exposure to the weather, particularly undue exposure to 

 rainy weather, detracts from the value of the crop. This is duo 

 to the leaching away of nutrient compounds by the rain. 



The following table from Bulletin 135 of the Kansas Station 

 shows the extent of such losses from alfalfa hay, assuming, as is 

 approximately true, that no fiber is lost. The hay was exposed 

 during 15 days, during which time it was subjected to three 

 rains amounting to 1.76 inches: 



