34 



MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



TABLE XVI. 



COMPARISON OF PERCENTAGES OF SUGARS AND STARCH IN THE DRY SUBSTANCE OF 

 IMMATURE AND MATURE CORN PLANT. 



Parts in 100 of watei 



•-free 





substance. 































o3 



Cj 





o 



_ £.d 

 ■32? 



h c . ? 



6D 

 03 



CO 



Eh to m 



Tot 

 niti 

 free 



12.85 



1.07 



13.92 



50.55 



13.32 



14.02 



27.34 



60.33 



.47 



12.95 



13.42 



9.78 



m a 



Southern Corn, immature, no ears, four 

 samples 



Maine Field Corn, mature, full ears, four 

 samples 



Excess in the Maine Field Corn . . . 



27.5 

 45.3 



17.8 



There is a constant and striking difference between the percent- 

 ages of starch in the Southern corn and in the Maine field corn. 

 They are much larger in the latter kind. This is due undoubtedly 

 to greater maturity Only a small amount of starch appears to be 

 deposited in the stalk and leaves, its rapid formation and storage 

 in the plant apparently not beginning until the later development 

 of the fruit or kernels. The analyses of Maine field corn in various 

 stages show this fact very clearly. They also show that while a 

 decrease in sugar occurred with the maturing of the ear, this was 

 much less than the corresponding increase of starch, so that matu- 

 rity shows a large excess over any other period of the more valuable 

 carbohydrates. 



There is, however, over four per cent less of sugar in the mature 

 corn than at any period since the first one investigated. If the 

 influence of maturity is in general to diminish the sugars present, 

 less acidity of the silage would certainly result from the same 

 cause. It appears, however, that there is not less, but rather 

 more, sugar in the mature field corn than in the Southern corn, so 

 that it is reasonable to expect, in these cases at least, fully as acid 

 silage from the former variety. 



