Chemical Work in Canadian Agriculture. 41 



grass, and certainly the one which above all others has made 

 winter dairying possible and profitable. 



Owing to the large yields obtained and its succulent and 

 nutritious character, corn furnishes one of the best and certainly 

 the cheapest of our bulky fodders. An immense amount of 

 chemical work has been done in our laboratories to ascertain, (i) 

 the requirements of this crop, (2) the relative value of certain 

 varieties for feeding purposes, and (3) the best time for cutting, 

 whether for the silo or for preservation in the dry condition. 

 Our data on this subject are voluminous. I can now but refer 

 to one or two of the more important conclusions. 



Analyzing the principal varieties at five different stages of 

 of growth and ascertaining the weight of the crop per acre at 

 the same periods, we learned that a variety coming to early 

 maturity (known as the glazing condition) would at that stage 

 afford nearly twice as much real cattle food per acre than if cut 

 a month earlier. The more practical deductions from our 

 chemical work may be summarized as follows : 



1. That the ground should be well prepared and rich in 

 available plant food constituents, and more especially in potash. 



2. That such varieties should be planted as will in all 

 probability come to maturity before danger from frost. 



3. That corn should not be sown broadcast ; for vigorous 

 growth and in order to come to maturity it requires plenty of 

 room for both roots and leaves. 



4. That cutting either for the silo or for drying in stock 

 should be delayed (unless it is touched by early frost) until the 

 corn reaches the glazing condition. 



Other fodder crops, including clover, beans, rye, and roots 

 of all kinds, have been carefully studied and their requirements 

 and relative feeding values made known for the guidance of our 

 farmers. Since the profits in farming to-day depend as much 

 upon cheap production as upon good prices ; the value of the 

 knowledge of cheap and efficient feeding materials is obvious. 



