The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-18
Fodder and Corn Ensilage.

The June Bulletin of the Massachu-
sets Experiment Station states that
careful tests have demonstrated the
fact that the amount of vegetable mat
ter in given weight of green fodder
corn, cut at the beginning of the glaz-
ing of the kernels, is known to be not
only nearly twice as large as compared
with that contained in an equal weight
of green corn-fodder cut when just
showing the tassels, but it is also known
to be pound for pound more nutritious,
for it contains more starch, more sugar,
more of valuable heterogeneous matter,
etc. As long as the vital energy of an
annual plant is still essentially spent in
the increase of its size, as a rule, but
comparatively small amount of valuable
organic compounds, as starch, sugar,
etc., accumulates within its cellular
tissue. The comparative feeding value
of the same kind of fodder-plants, or
any particular part of such plants, is not
to be measured by its size, but by the
quantity of valuable organic heterogeneous
and non-nitrogenous constituents stored
up in its cellular system. The larger
or smaller amount of dry vegetable
matter left behind from giren weight
of samples of the same kind of a fodder
plant Of a corresponding stage Of growth
indicates in the majority of cases their
respective higher or lower economical
value for feeding purposes. The taller
varieties of corn are not necessarily the
more valuable kinds for the production
of fodder; on the contrary, it would be
more judicious, on general principles,
to doubt their superior fitness for that
purpose until otherwise proved. This
statement applies in particular to some
varieties but recently transferred to
our section of the country, for they
seem to require an exceptionally rich
soil to yield the best results they are
represented to be capable of producing.
Raised in soil of moderate resources
of plant-food, but little of the latter can
be left over, after the production of
their tall stalks and bulky leaves, to
assist in the formation of valuable or
ganic compounds, as sugar, starch, fat,
heterogeneous matter, ETC., to enrich the
entire plant. The same mode of reason
ing applies to the raising of exception
ally large-sized roots, potatoes, etc.
They are usually but partly matured,
and thus of watery and Indifferent
taste.
Acting on these principles, the sta
TONS silos were filled last fall with
fodder-corn which had just reached the
point when the kernels began to glaze
over, expecting to secure an ensilage of
superior feeding value. The results OF
these experiments in that direction have
been very satisfactory and may be
summed up as follows:
l. The course adopted for the pro-
duction of corn-fodder for the silo Sc.
cures the largest amount of valuable
vegetable matter which a given area OF
land, planted with fodder-corn, can
produce under corresponding circum'
stances, as far as land and season are
concerned.
2. The ensilage of more maturet
fodder-corn has a higher feeding value
pound for pound, as compared with
that cut at an earlier stage of growth.
g. The more matured fodder-corn, OF
account of harder texture, is les
crushed by close packing, and conse
quently better resists the peculiar infu
ences which tend to deteriorate, and III
timately destroy, the contents of the silo