28 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



The above mass of figures give information on two points which, 

 are worthy of consideration by Maine farmers; viz: (1) The 

 comparative composition of the large Southern varieties of corn, 

 which are so often grown in Maine for fodder purposes, and the 

 Northern field corn such as matures in Maine, which is regarded 

 by many as the more valuable variety for use in this State. 



(2) The effect of the degree of maturity of the corn plant upon 

 its composition. The large varieties of corn must be cut in this 

 State when very immature, and our own small field corn may be 

 cut in any stage of maturity. What is the effect of immaturity 

 upon the value of the plant as a food ? 



THE COMPARATIVE COMPOSITION OF THE LARGE SOUTHERN CORN AND 

 THE SMALLER MAINE FIELD CORN, THE FORMER IMMATURE WHEN 

 CUT AND THE LATTER MATURE. 



Observations on these two varieties of corn have been made for 

 five years and in the averages given below, there are included 

 analyses already published in the reports of this Station for 1889 

 and 1891. The analyses for the years 1888, 1890 and 1891 are 

 averaged separately from those of 1892 and 1893 for the reason 

 that the samples for the first three years were obtained in a way 

 that probably allowed a material change in their composition. In 

 1888, 1890 and 1891 several hundred pounds of the green plant 

 were stored under cover in such a manner as to partially air-dry' 

 without any apparent fermentation or decay, and the fodder was 

 not analyzed until it had stood in this condition for several months, 

 when it was used for digestion experiments. Doubtless these fod- 

 ders hsd suffered changes incident to the slow drying of large 

 succulent plants, even under the most favorable conditions. In 

 1892 and 1893, immediately upon cutting in the field, several hun- 

 dred pounds of the perfectly'fresh material were finely chopped 

 and crushed, a portion of which was rapidly dried in a steam 

 closet. Facts given later indicate that the latter method of pro- 

 cedure much more fully preserved the original condition of the 

 plant than the former, and so the analyses for the last two years 

 are the more trustworthy as a means of ascertaining the nature of 

 the growth which actually occurred. 



It should be remarked, also that while the crops of Maine field 

 corn must be regarded as mature in 1888, 1889 and 1890, they 

 were much more heavily eared in 1892 and 1893. 



