Stage of Growth, Preparation 131 



merous American aiid European digestion trials unite in 

 testifying almost unanimously to a gradually diminished 

 digestibility as the meadow grasses increase in age. 

 The maturing of maize seems to produce quite the con- 

 trary effect. The testimony of experiments conducted 

 at the Connecticut, Maine and Pennsylvania Experiment 

 Stations justifies the statement that the corn plant, cut 

 when the ears are full grown, furnishes not only a larger 

 amount of digestible material, but a larger relative pro- 

 portion than when cut before the ears have formed; 

 and this is strictly in harmony with our general prin- 

 ciple; for the mature plant, on account of the storage 

 of starch in the kernels, has by far a larger proportion 

 of the more digestible carbohydrates. 



INFLUENCE OF METHODS OF PREPARATION OF FOOD 



Much labor and expense have been expended by 

 farmers in giving to feeding stuffs special treatment, 

 such as wetting, steaming, cooking and fermenting, in 

 order to secure a supposed increase in nutritive value, 

 an increase which must come chiefly, if at all, from a 

 more complete digestion. It is plainly noticeable that 

 these methods of feeding have lost in prevalence rather 

 than gained. Practice does not seem to have perma- 

 nently ratified them, and, so far as digestibility is 

 concerned, this outcome is in accordance with the re- 

 sults of scientific demonstration. The conclusions of 

 German experimenters have been that these special 

 treatments have no favorable influence, their effect 

 being either imperceptible or unfavorable, 



