62 



MAINE -TATE COLLEGE 



It was understood, therefore, that an experiment along this line 

 would be to an extent a repetition. Nevertheless for several reasons 

 it was thought best to do this. In the first place an unusually good 

 opportunity was offered to secure uniform conditions as to soil. 

 Again, the outcome whatever it might be would be a more valuable 

 object lesson to Maine farmers than results reached in some other 

 state. Finally, it was desired to learn something as to the nature 

 of the growth which is so rapid at approaching maturity*. 



The field of corn selected for studying the influence of maturity 

 was the one designated as Field Xo. 1 (1893). The corn was of 

 very uniform growth, being finely eared and in every way satis- 

 factory for experimental purposes. 



Each of the ten plots consisted of five rows, and it was decided to 

 harvest one -fifth of the crop or one-tenth of an acre at each of five 

 periods of growth, cutting one row of each plot at each period. As 

 in other similar experiments, quite an amount of each lot was finely 

 chopped, and a portion of this was immediately dried in a steam 

 closet. 



TABLE XXXI. 

 PRODUCTIOX OF THE CORN PLAXT AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF GROWTH. 





5 . 



~ -■— 



— : Z 



- r 9 



ffl I r 

 > 5) Pi 



Dry substance, j 





H '- 30 



aT-f 



Date of cutting and condition of 

 crop. 



re- 

 mit, 

 in 

 crop. 



Total 



yield 



per 



acre 



lbs. 





August 15th, ears beginning to form 

 August 2Sth, a few roasting ears 



•26,166 



13 29,777 



7 31,000 



81 28,833 



9 -27.777 



11.71 

 17.50 

 19.55 

 23.17 

 25.34 



3,064.0 

 5,210.9 

 6,060.5 

 6,680.6 

 7,039.7 



2,146.9 

 849.6 

 620.1 

 358.1 



165.0 



121.3 



77.5 



39. S 











Total increase after August 15th 



- 



- 



- 



3,974.7 





The results of this experiment certainly furnish a striking illus- 

 tration of the folly of harvesting immature corn for silage purposes 

 whenever it is possible to allow it to attain maturity. 



In this instance, the quantity of dry matter in the corn at matur- 

 ity was nearly two and one-half times greater than at the silking 

 period thirty-teven days previous, the average rate of increase per 

 acre of dry substance being about 108 pounds daily . This daily 

 increase is equivalent in quantity to one day's ration for four or five 

 cows of ordinary weight. 



