4 r '° MAIZE 



CHAP. Jordan (3, p. 212) gives the above summary of experi- 



ments on the digestibility of maize fodder and silage; the 

 figures show the amount digested out of 100 parts of organic 

 matter. 



The average difference in favour of the more mature crop 

 is thus 5 per cent in the case of fodder and 6 per cent in the 

 case of silage. 



429. Feeding Value of Maize Fodder at Different Stages of 

 Growth. — The feeding value of maize fodder at different stages 

 of growth, as determined by milk production, has been in- 

 vestigated by the Pennsylvania Station (Rep. 1S92) and the 

 Ohio State University. 1 The fodder was cut at three different 

 stages of maturity : the roasting ear stage, the silage stage, and 

 when ripe or nearly so. The weight of field-cured fodder 

 increased with the stage of ripeness, the increase being greatest 

 during the first interval. The percentage eaten was least in 

 that cut early, though prepared with a feed cutter. Compared 

 with the earlier cutting, the intermediate stage gave the greatest 

 increase of milk and of live weight ; compared with the later 

 cutting the difference was less marked. 



430. Pulling. — In the Southern United States there is a 

 tendency for the maize leaves to dry up before the ears are 

 sufficiently mature, and in consequence it has been customary 

 to strip the leaves from the stalks while they are still green 

 and the ears immature. 



In the States " fodder pulling is effected, according to 

 latitude and season, from the first of August to the middle or 

 even the last of September. When the operator's hands are 

 full of blades and he can hold no more, the quantity is termed 

 a 'hand,' and is bound rapidly with a twist and hung on a 

 broken stalk to cure. On gathering a day or so later, from 

 three to four hands form a ' bundle,' which is, also, bound 

 with a few twisted blades. The bundle weighs from l|- to 2 

 lbs. and forms the staple 'roughage' of southern draft stock" 

 (My rick, 1). 



The Georgia Station {Bull. 23) finds that the practice is 

 only expedient under the most favourable circumstances ; but 

 that where it is done, the best method is to strip the blades, 

 from and including the ear-blade downwards, and in a week or 



1 D. A. downer, Thesis, 1896, quoted by Hunt (1). 



