42 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



is the amount of digestible dry material. One other factor enters 

 which it is necessary to consider to some extent, and that is the 

 relative value of equal amounts of digestible material from differ- 

 ent crops. For instance, the large varieties of Dent corn do not 

 mature in this climate, but must usually be cut and put m the silo 

 before the formation of the ear, while with our earJy varieties of 

 field and sweet corn, the plant can generally be fully matured. 

 The question arises, Is a pound of digestible material in the imma- 

 ture large variety equal in value to a pound of digestible material 

 from the smaller and maturer sort? 



The Maine Experiment Station has addressed itself to the study 

 of the problems suggested above. Work in this direction was 

 begun in the summer of 1888 and has been continued through 

 three seasons. 



In 1889 the experiment was confined to three varieties of the 

 corn plant (see Rep. Me. Exp't Station 1889, p. 46), but in 1890 

 and 1891 root crops and other varieties of fodder crops were 

 included. 



The general plan followed has been to select soil uniform in 

 quality and in previous treatment, producing upon it equal areas 

 of the several crops under like conditions of manuring, cultivation, 

 etc. A record has been made of the weight of each crop, and its 

 composition, and in part its digestibility, have been determined. 

 The following is a description of the soil and of the method of 

 manuring, planting and cultivation for the several seasons : 

 1888. — Soil, clayey loam. Land in grass for several years previ- 

 ous. Sod broken in spring, and 600 lbs. superphosphate 

 drilled in with seed. Seed drilled in with Eclipse corn 

 planter. Three varieties of corn were planted on two acres. 

 This area was divided into twelve plots, four plots being 

 used for each variety. 

 1890. — Soil, clayey loam. In cultivation for four previous years. 

 About seven cords per acre of good manure from barn 

 cellar applied the previous autumn. Seed planted by hand. 

 Size of plots one-twentieth of an acre, two plots being 

 devoted to each variety of crop. The corn and root crops 

 were thinned during cultivation to a uniform distance of 

 plants. 

 1891.— Soil, clayey loam. Land in grass since 1885. Sod broken 

 in spring and about six cords of manure from cow stable 

 applied per acre. 240 lbs. x>er acre of a fertilizer consisting 



