198 



ECONOMIC PLANTS 



which allow the freest possible circulation of air. Corn 

 is also often fed from the bundle to fattening steers. 



Good corn land should yield from 80 to 90 bushels 

 of shelled corn an acre. The fact that the average 

 yield in the United States is only 25 to 35 bushels an 

 acre shows poor seed, impoverished land, poor culti- 

 vation, or a combination of these poor conditions. 



Corn Products. Corn, while used principally as 

 food for animals and man, furnishes the basis of many 

 other products. Among these are alcohol, whisky, 

 and malt liquors. Glucose and corn starch, used re- 

 spectively in the making of confectionery and in cook- 

 ing, are two other well- 

 known products. All 

 parts of the maize plant 

 have other uses than 

 as a food, for the stalks 

 and husks are made 

 into a coarse paper, the 

 pith forms a packing 

 for stopping leaks and 

 is therefore carried on 

 war vessels, while the 

 cobs are made into 

 pipes. Gluten meal, a 

 common stock food, is 

 also made from corn. 

 Silos and Silage. - 

 A silo is an air-tight 

 structure, used for the 



FIG. 103. Section of a Silo. 



preservation of green, 



coarse fodders in a juicy condition. Silage, or ensilage, 

 is the food taken out of a silo. 



DECAYED 



SILAGE 



