1901.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 



39 



CHARACTER OF MATERIAL. 





CD 



Oreen millet, early to late Mossora, . 

 Dent corn fodder (in milk) for comparison, 

 Millet bay, full bloesom,* .... 

 Millet hay, full blossom, f .... 

 Timothy hay for comparison, . 

 Millet silage for comparison,! . 

 MiUet and soy bean silage, .... 

 Corn and soj- bean 8ilage,§ .... 

 Corn silage for comparison, || 



* Same plot as green material previously given. 

 t Piinicum italicnm, — a different species of Japanese millet. 

 J No digestion testa 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 withdrawal of the water is not supposed to afi^ect 

 digestil)ility, and this is likely to be the case Avith young and 

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

 the case of coarse, woody plants the reverse is likely to be 

 true. The hardening of the w^oody stalks in the curing proc- 

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

 ability are the most important factors in bringing about this 

 ajjparent result. We 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 silajre 

 shows about 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 

 exi)laincd when one remcml)ers the considerable amount of 

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



