Feeding Dairy Cattle 



than made up In' the increase in other carbohydrates. Fiber 

 is the hardest nutrient to digest and the percentage of fiber 

 that is digested is less than the percentage of any other 

 nutrient. Therefore the total digestibility of the corn plant 

 will increase towards maturity. 



From the average of twenty-one careful trials, with more 

 than twelve different varieties of corn, it has been found thai 

 between tasseling and ripening the dry matter in the plant 

 will increase 193 per cent., the crude protein 98 per cent. 

 These averages have been compiled from several sources and 

 1iear out the statements given in detail above in the table. 

 It is seen that when the plant has reached its full height, it 

 has really only begun to store up food for use in the form of 

 silage. These tables show conclusively ho\\' foolish it is to 

 grow corn of large varieties for silage, and how much better 

 it is to plant the corn no thicker than to allow it to mature 

 fully, with the largest possible proportion of ears. 



Therefore, due to the larger proportion of food value as 

 corn approaches maturity, we can sa}- without any doubt, that 

 the time to cut corn for silage is as near maturity as possible. 

 The only reason for not waiting until the corn is ripe is that 

 ■ there is danger that the silage may not pack well. This may 

 be overcome in part by the addition of water, as will be dis- 

 cussed under treatment suggested for frosted corn. 



A third reason, apart from the increased amount of nutri- 

 ents and less fiber, is in the fact that there is more of the 

 carbohydrates in the form of starch as the plant approaches 

 maturit\- than in the form of sugar. This fact has an 

 important bearing on the keeping qualitv of the silage. The 

 more sugar there is present the farther fermentation will go 

 and the more acid will result. The better quality of silage is 

 that that is least acid. Then, too, the losses in food value 

 which occurred in the silage after it was stored in the silo, 

 in the earl}- days, often ran as high as 20 per cent. Accord- 

 ing to the best authorities, the loss need not be above five 

 per cent, if the corn is reasonal:ilv mature l^efore cutting and 

 the silage is properly packed. The writer has many times 

 seen gallons of liquid nearly of the consistency of syrup, run 

 out from the bottom of silos when the corn was put in too 

 green. The silage in such a silo is sure to be very acid. 

 While not injurious, acid silage is not so palatable, certainly 

 not so nutritious, and indicates that there has been a greater 

 loss than necessary in the silage after storage. 



Page Thirty-five 



