THE CONCENTRATES 165 



The main difference in the composition of these three races lies 

 in the higher fat, protein, ash, and fiber*contents of sweet corn, and 

 its lower nitrogen-free extract, than that of the other races. Of 

 the differences given those in the protein, fat, and carbohydrate 

 contents are the most important ; the high percentages of fat and 

 sugar in sweet corn are probably responsible for the fondness of 

 stock for this corn. la 



' Characteristics of Corn. — Although fairly rich in protein, corn 

 is especially a carbohydrate grain, containing nearly 70 per cent of 

 pure starch. Its high fat content (about 5 to 8 per cent) increases 

 its value as a fattening and, heat-producing feed and adds to its 

 palatability to farm animals. Corn is low in ash (less than 2 per 

 cent), and this contains only a small proportion of lime and phos- 

 phorus; hence corn is less valuable than other cereals for feeding 

 young stock and for milk-producing animals and poultry, all of 

 which require considerable mineral matter for building up their 

 bone structure, or for ash in milk or egg-shells. By feeding corn 

 as a sole feed to pigs, farmers in the corn belt and elsewhere have 

 sustained, large losses through overfattened, weakly swine, with, 

 poor bone, that fall an easy prey to disease (p. 301) . 



As shown elsewhere, corn can be supplemented for best results 

 with feeds rich in protein and mineral substances in feeding the 

 classes of live stock mentioned. Corn is fed either whole as ear 

 corn, or shelled or ground. The best method of feeding varies 

 according to the kind and age of the animal, and will be considered 

 under the respective classes of live stock, along with the adaptability 

 and general value of corn in each case. Instead of grinding the 

 shelled corn, the ear corn is sometimes ground "cob and all." 

 This feed, known as corn and cob meal, has been found to be of value 

 in making a lighter feed than corn meal, and makes a good feed for 

 horses, steers, and milch cows. Experiments have shown that it 

 has a similar value to corn meal, pound for pound, for these animals. 



Ear corn contains varying proportions of cob, according to the 

 race, variety,, and maturity of the corn, an- average ratio for dent 

 corn being 14 pounds of cob' to 56 pounds of shelled corn. The cob 

 is very low in valuable feed materials and contains about 30 per 

 cent fiber; the carbohydrates are composed largely of pentosans (31 

 per cent) and substances of lower feeding value than starch. The 

 cob therefore adds but little to the value of the. ground corn in it- 

 self, but the benefit from grinding the corn and cob together comes 

 from the mechanical effect, rendering the ground meal lighter and 

 insuring a more complete action of the digestive juices on the same. 



'a Farmers' Bui. 199. 



