12S 



MAINE STATE COLLEGE. 



the excess of dry matter in the Maine field corn consists almost 

 wholly of the non-nitrogenous compounds classed under the head 

 of nitrogen-free-extract. 



The Maine Field Corn is in this case worth forty per cent, more than 

 the immature Southern Com, pound for pound, judging simply by the 

 per cent, of dry matter. The great bulk of the Southern Corn fodder 

 is not a proof of greater or even of equal value. 



The Effects of Maturity upon the Maine Field Corn in 

 position and Yield. 



Coii- 



Composition: In order to obtain testimony on this point, in 1S93 

 a field of Maine 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 below. 



In 100 Pounds Green Corn. 



CO 



CO 



CO 



CO 



7 



CO J.S 



60S 1 



&s 



T 



CO 





CD 

 fit 



!~ CD O 



o-g 



< 



OnSzi 



pH 



y^ «w +j 



11.71 



1.09 



1.75 



3.10 



5.46 



17.50 



1.14 



2.05 



4.08 



9.71 



19.55 



1.21 



2.22 



3.85 



11.68 



23.17 



1.29 



2.22 



4.48 



14.50 



25.34 



1.50 



2.34 



4.71 



16.04 



Maine field corn, cut Aug 15 . 

 Aug. 28. 

 Sept. 4.. 

 Sept. 12. 

 Sept. 21. 



S8.29 

 82.50 

 80.45 

 76.83 

 74.66 



.30 

 .52 

 .59 

 .6S 

 • 75 



The immature and mature corn differ in the following essential 

 particular: 



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 

 mostly due to an actual growth of dry matter, rather than to a dry- 

 ing out of water. 



Yield: The field of corn selected for studying the influence of 

 maturity upon the yield was of very uniform growth, being finely 

 eared and in every way satisfactory 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. 



