212 The Feeding of Animals 



These data give us every right to expect that the 

 dry matter of the mature corn plant is more digestible 

 than that of the immature plant, and experimental 

 tests show this to be the case. There follows a sum- 

 mary of American digestive experiments bearing on 

 this point: 



Digested from 100 parts organic matter 



Corn fodder - Corn silage > 



Max. Min. Av. Max. Min. Av. 



Cut before glazing, 13 experiments . . 71.4 53.6 65.7 77.8 56.6 67.4 

 Cut after glazing, 10 experiments.... 74.2 61.2 70.7 80.2 65.2 73.6 



The advantage is seen to be with the mature corn. 

 It is fair to conclude from all these observations that 

 harvesting the corn plant when immature is injudicious 

 from every point of view. 



SILAGE 



About twenty -five years ago a new process for pre- 

 serving crops in a green condition was introduced into 

 the United States; viz., ensilage. This consists in 

 storing green material in receptacles called silos, in 

 masses sufficiently large to insure certain essential con- 

 ditions. Within a brief period after maize or other 

 green material is packed in a silo, the mass becomes 

 perceptibly warm and in the course of two or three 

 days it reaches its maximum temperature, which is much 

 above the average heat outside. This rise in temper- 

 ature is due to chemical changes which involve the 

 consumption of more or less oxygen and the produc- 

 tion of compounds not previously existing in the fresh 

 material. 



