Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-07-13
FODDER ON CORN-REAPlNG WHEAT
GREEN.
pnlA,r Epwlrp, 2lth Jan. 1885

PmA,r Epwtrp, 9th Jan. lSB5.
The subject OF stripping Indian corn blades aud
topping the corn practlsed generally in tai, part
oil Virginia, having been noticed several times IN
the Farmers Register. il la, occurred to me that
i, may not bc improper to add my experience on
the subject. have for many 1ca1, been satisfied
that ii is very Improbable management. Though
l practise II, with view OF supplying sufficient
quantity OF fodder FOR my stock, am constrained
TO acknowledges, that 1t IS NOTHING bnt sheer neell-
gcnce IN providing 9th, means oi supplying fodder
or hay, that induces m" to do from yea 10
year. will give You as nearly Il, my mrmor,
serves, the result oil an experiment made BY me-
when a had, under the special direction of my Ia
ther, who made record Of TN, experiment, II,
well as OF great many others which would nov
probably be- very useful bat which were all ii n
destroyed by his servants during the latter deon-
ing years of hls life cannot pretend to rcmem-
Der accurately the quantities oil corn and fodder
produced in the experiment whichuas made molc
than thirty years aeo, and is nearly rs follows:
Thirty nine row, of corn. 60 hills lona, - feet
each way, and two stalks in each hill, were plant
cd ON tolcrably GOOD land, and cultivated rs con-
mon TIL IT Was thought properts tine tor pulling fod
Ter. then carefully pulled tie fodder OH Of each
hrst and second TOW alternately ihrnu.h the piece.
leaving each third row To stand With an the 5ller
and tops on, ill perfectly d5y. When Ii W,
thought the proper tima, eat the tops OF each
hrsi row, so that there were IL Low, of corn With
fodder pulled and top, ,u5, i ravs with fodder
pulled TO one blade above the eaf and tops LEFT 10
dry, and IL rows from which neither fodder nor
tops were taken at al. Zach parcel of fodder VI,
cured and kept apart from each other and the
blades were stripped from the tops of each first
row, at the time OF cutting the tops ; and WHEN
cured put with the fodder TINT Ind been pulled
from the same rows. Each parcel of corn was
gathered, and when perfectly DRY, shcllea and
weighed separately, and tie fodder from the /, first
rows and that from l3 second rows each weighed
separately. The quantity of corn raised from the
IL rows, from which the fodder was pulled aud
the tops cut, WAS considerably less han that raised
on the Is second roWs, from which the fodder was
pulled and the tops le standing It'll dry, and sill
muchlcss than the raised on the IL third rows
on which both fodder and top, were left til per
fcctly dry. The qulntit, of corn raised on the }
third row., weighed few ounces more than the
corn and fodder both to"cthcr which was raised
on the IL second rows from which tire fodder only
was pulled, and the tops left standing-and weipbed
a lew ounces less than the corn and fodder, with
the addition OF the fodder stripped from the tops
raised on the ID first rows, from which the fodder
was pulled and the tops cut. | remember the cen-
clusions to which my father and myself came were,
that the whole produce in each case, was SO near
~ oil equal value, as to make scarcely an object
worth consideration, even in large crop, and that
the whole labor of gathering and curing the fodder
and tops IA considerable item in "A farmers account
by the by was entirely lost
Another experiment which | made about the
same time, of which have not as perfect rccolec-
ton, was to strip the fodder from number OF row,
OF corn, quite from bottom top taking of all the
blades at the usual time of pulling blade fodder
from below the ears. My recollection of this es-
pertinent is, that this last is the most improbable
management Of any have mentioned in this COM
munication-not being practically acquainted with
any other modes of managing the corn crop with a
view 10 saving the fodder.
Twill suggest TO your readers, the propreiy OF
extending the experiments as to test the relative
profit OF cutting down the corn, fodder and all Just
before the fodder would die and dry up on the
stalks or rather at the time of pulling fodder.
Those who have secured corn and fodder in this
way. generally approve the practice, but have not
zen that any person has made fair experiment
~ 'ctial weight a7d mos n. with il the only
'avoid dcu.'oG.