100 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



heat-producing part of the feed, while the bran and the oil 

 meal furnish the protein and the milk-producing elements. 



Mr. Judd: When do you sow this corn? 



Prof. Haecker: A little before the middle of June, and 

 let it stand as long as possible. I wouldn't want it touched 

 with the frost. I am beginning to think that the idea that 

 the corn must be matured so that it is in the dent stage, or 

 in the milk stage, is wrong; that is, that it furnishes a larger 

 percentage of digestible food at. that stage than it does at any 

 other, or, that the stalk of corn must throw out an ear in 

 order to reach its maximum development. Now, I am aware 

 that this is not orthodox. It looks to me as if by planting 

 corn late in the season so thick that it can not ear, yet leaving 

 a space between the rows so that the air and the sunlight 

 can circulate through that that corn will gather up as much 

 fod value as it will if it is planted in the hill and is allowed 

 to put part of the nutrients into the ear. If a stalk of corn 

 does not divert the nutrients into an ear, there is no other 

 I)lace that it can go to. You will notice that corn planted late, 

 where it must be cut early must grow very fast, and we find 

 that wherever vegetation grows very rapidly, it gathers a 

 larger percentage of protein than it does where it grows 

 slowly. 



The Chairman: In discussing the ensilage question yes- 

 terday, it was decided that the time to cut ensilage corn was 

 the very last moment when the ear is as ripe as can be be- 

 fore frost. How do you reconcile those two things? 



Prof. Haecker: They are in perfect harmony; the ear 

 forms the dough stage soon after the pollen falls on the silk 

 and we find that if there is no ear, the corn stalk reaches 

 maturity just the same. It cannot form an ear but still 

 it grows, and it seems to me in that stalk of corn is preserved 

 the nutrients that will otherwise go into the ear. Of course 

 it will require considerable experimental work to ascertain 

 whether this is so or not, but from my observation, I am in- 

 clined to think that such is the case. 



Mr. Judd: Can we accomplish the same result by cut- 

 ting it earlier? 



Prof. Haecker: No; it has to go through all the stages 

 of maturing; the plant always changes its climatic condi 



