30 



MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



THE INFLUENCE OF MATURITY UPON THE COMPOSITION OF THE CORN 



PLANT. 



The figures above cited compare two varieties of corn in unlike 

 stages of maturity and show important differences in composition. 



Is this a question of maturity or of variety? In order to obtain 

 testimony on this point, in 1893 field No. 1 of Maine field corn was 

 cut in five different lots, ranging in times of cutting from August 15th 

 to September 21st, and in stage of growth from the early formation 

 of the ear to full maturity. The analyses of samples from these 

 different cuttings appear in Table 1 but are reproduced below. 



TABLE XII. 

 COMPOSITION OF CORN CUT AT DIFFERENT PERIODS OF GROWTH. 





In 100 parts fresh substance. 



• 



Z 



i'i. 





- id 



- -i 



?X 



3 



£ 



c — 

 :£ - 

 z . ~ 



- -- z 



gg-M 

 /■-■- s 



'- 



Maine Field Corn, cut August loth.. 

 Augu.~t2Sth.. 

 Sept. 4th . ... 

 Sept. 12th.... 

 Sept. 21st .... 



5>.29 

 82.50 

 80.45 

 76.83 

 74.66 



11.71 

 17-50 

 19.55 

 23.17 

 25.34 



1.09 

 1.14 

 1.21 

 1.29 

 1.50 



1.75 

 2.05 

 2.22 

 2.22 

 2.34 



3.10 



4.08 

 3.S5 

 4.48 

 4.71 



5.46 

 9.71 

 11.68 

 14.50 

 16.04 



.30 

 .52 

 .59 

 .68 

 .75 



The immature and mature corn differ in the following essential 

 particulars : 



(1) The mature corn is less watery: i. e. it contains a much 

 larger percentage of dry substance. During the thirty days before 

 the mature crop was harvested there was a continuous and large 

 increase in the percentage of dry matter. It will appear later that 

 this was due to an actual growth of dry matter, rather to a drying 

 out of the water with a diminished weight of crop. 



(2) This increase was most largely from the growth of com- 

 pounds classed as nitrogen-free-extract, such as starch, sugar and 

 allied bodies. 



This is most clearly shown by the arrangement of figures in 

 Table 13: 



