158 FEEDS AND FEEDING, ABRIDGED 



rich in crude protein. Corn forage is fair in phosphorus and high in 

 lime, compared with corn and the other cereal grains. 



Thickness of planting. — How thick to plant corn for forage to se- 

 cure the highest feeding value, has been studied at several experiment 

 stations. The following table shows the results secured at the Illinois 

 Station x where corn was planted on good prairie soil from 3 to 24 

 inches apart in the row, all rows being 3 feet 8 inches apart?: 



Results of planting com kernels various distances apart in rows 



Good Poor c*„„ r Total Stover 



Distance between ears ears n«r digestible for each 



kernels in row per per "JJl nutrients lb. of 



acre acre per acre corn 



Bu. Bu. Tons Lbs. Lbs. 



3 inches 13 46 4.8 6,218 3.6 



6 inches 37 39 3.7 5,980 1.9 



9 inches 55 22 3.1 5,539 1.5 



12 inches 73 16 3.0 5,593 1.3 



15 inches 63 11 2.9 5,180 1.4 



24 inches 49 6 2.5 4,207 1.5 



"With the kernels but 3 inches apart in the row there were 46 bushels 

 of "nubbins," or poor ears, and only 13 bushels of sound ears per 

 acre. However, this thick planting gave the largest returns in di- 

 gestible nutrients — over 6,000 lbs. per acre, and there was the largest 

 amount of stover for each pound of corn. The largest yield of sound 

 ear corn was secured by planting the kernels 12 inches apart in the 

 row, the returns being 73 bushels of sound and 16 bushels of poor ears 

 per acre, with only 600 lbs. less digestible matter than from planting 

 the kernels 4 times as thickly. These and other trials show that 

 when corn is to be grown for forage, the seed should be planted so 

 thickly that but few good ears form. If the chief object is grain, 

 with stover secondary, the kernels should be planted at such a dis- 

 tance apart that all plants may produce full-sized ears. No general 

 rule can be given as to the definite amount of seed to be planted per 

 acre, for this varies greatly and is determined by local conditions. 

 One should know accurately the capacity of his land for corn, and 

 seed accordingly. 



Nutrients in grain and stover. — Even when grown for the grain, a 

 considerable part of the feeding value of the corn crop is in the stover. 

 In trials at 4 northern stations 2 an average yield of 4,415 lbs. of ear 

 corn and 3,838 lbs. of stover was secured per acre. The stover con- 

 tained one-fourth of the digestible crude protein and over one-third 

 of the total digestible nutrients in the crop. The amount of total di- 

 gestible nutrients it contains measures the value of the stover for 



iHunt and Morrow, 111. Bui. 13. 



2 Summarized by Armsby, Penn. Rpt. 1887. 



