8i8 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol.XXI, No. xi 
(4) The dough stage. At this stage of ripening only dough is force 
out of the kernels by the nail, and the kernels are also beginning to show 
considerable yellow color. 
EXPERIMENTAL DATA 
Stowell’s Evergreen corn furnished the material for this study, which 
covered two crops. The first crop was planted so that it ripened in 
August. The average hourly mean temperature for the ripening period 
was 83° F. This crop will be spoken of as the early crop. The second 
crop ripened in the cool autumn. The average hourly mean tempera¬ 
ture for the ripening period was 65°. Besides being cool, the weather 
was usually cloudy and damp. This crop of com will be designated 
as the late crop. 
30 
ZO 
L/9T£ CPOP 
10 
£/?£-MJLK 
At/LK 
£/9RLY DOUGH 
Fig. i. —Relative percentages of total sugars and starch in green sweetcorn at different stages of ripening 
as indicated by the nail test. The solid columns represents the starch percentages, and the broken 
columns the percentages of total sugars. Each pair of columns represents a sitigle ear. The ears for each 
stage of ripening are arranged according to the percentage of water in the kernels, beginning with the 
’ highest water content at the left of the figure. 
The experimental results are set forth in Tables I, II, and III and in 
figure 1. Only moisture and carbohydrate determinations are given, 
as these constituents are the ones chiefly involved in the changes in 
percentage composition of the com during ripening. 
Table I.— Percentage composition of sweetcorn at different stages of ripening as indi¬ 
cated by the nail test. Early crop 
Moisture. 
Total 
sugars. 
Starch. 
87. 52 
8. 06 
4- 93 
83. 01 
5 * i 5 
2-33 
85. 10 
6. 26 
3- 29 
84. 94 
7- 56 
11. 94 
73- 25 
4. 08 
4. 27 
80. 16 
5- 79 
7. 72 
73- 5o 
4. 61 
J 9- 57 
66. 24 
2. 94 
i 5 * 15 
7 1 - 07 
3-9i 
16. 35 
6 9- 59 
4. 17 
25. 42 
58.76 
2. 12 
17. 80 
63.92 
3- 17 
21. 62 
Nail test. 
Number of tests. 
Ratio of 
sugar to 
starch. 
Premilk. 
Milk. 
Early dough 
Dough. 
{ Maximum. * 
Minimum.. 
Average.... 
{ Maximum.. 
Minimum.. 
Average.... 
{ Maximum.. 
Minimum.. 
Average.... 
{ Maximum.. 
Minimum.. 
Average.... 
1. 903 
• 75o 
• 2 39 
. 146 
