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. 
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. 
