1907.] Maize as a Fodder and Silage Crop. 



'7 



Table II. — Average Percentage Composition of Green Maize, 

 end of September and early October. Bad Season. 



Year. 



Dry 

 Matter. 



Ether 

 Extract. 



" Protein " 

 (Nitrogen 

 x 6-25). 



Nitrogi n 



Free 

 Extract. 



Fibre. 



Ash. 



Sugar. 



I903 



Per 

 cent. 

 13*35 



Fer 

 cent, 

 o* 16 



Per 

 cent. 

 1 Si 



Per 

 cent. 

 6-70 



Per 

 cent. 

 3*83 



Per 



cent. 



079 



Per 

 cent, 

 1 '5 



The dry matter, which is 20 per cent, in a good season, drops 

 to only a little over 13 per cent, in a bad one, and this change in 

 composition indicates a marked fall in the feeding value. It 

 will be observed that the difference in composition shows itself 

 mainly in the nitrogen free extract, a somewhat indefinite but 

 very nutritious group ; the " protein " and fibre do not vary 

 much in the different years. The amounts of dry matter and of 

 nitrogen free extract fall within the limits of Tables I and II 

 in seasons which are better than 1903 but not as good as 1901 

 or 1905. 



Table III. — Average Percentage Composition of Green Maize, 

 end of September and early October. Intermediate Seasons. 



Year. 



Dry 

 Matter. 



Ether 

 Extract. 



" Protein " 

 (Nitrogen 

 x 6-25). 



Nitrogen 



Free 

 Extract. 



Fibre. 



Ash. 



Sugar. 





Fer 



Per 



Per 



Per 



Per 



Per 



Per 





cent. 



cent. 



cent. 



cent. 



cent. 



cent. 



cent. 



1904 



15-00 



o-66 



•'59 



S-o6 



3*74 



°'95 



o - So 



1906 



15-09 



022 



1-58 



8-39 



3"93 



O ' <)7 





The crop is never quite even ; it is possible on the same dav to 

 pick out large, well advanced plants, and small, less mature ones, 

 and analysis shows that the latter are less nutritious than 

 the former. Thus, in 1904, when the average percentage of dry 

 matter over the whole field was 15, the large well developed 

 plants contained 10 per cent, and the small stunted ones onlv 

 I2'7 per cent. ; the constituents ol the drv matter seemed t«> be 

 much the same in both cases. 



Since the crop never ripens here, it sutlers no deterioration as 

 does ordinarv grass, and so long as the weather is warm enough for 

 growth to continue the crop seems to improve. It i*>, however, 



B 



