The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1844-02-09
RTFs.7L ECO.SO.Ny.
BEST METHOD OF CURING CORN.

D'-TA -h a. AACb ~ tNNiA'p SOANNN'
Oar Indian corn cropls one of the most
valuable, If not the most valuable crop cul- !
tiyated in the United States, and every /
Thing relative 10 the best methods Of grow [
ing and securing it are propoItonably i'm
portani. 10 securing Indian corn, two !
methods are commonly used; the first, is
TO top the corn, by cutting the stalk imme.
diately above the ear, and this is usually
done as soon as the grain is glazed, though
some farmers scarcely wait for this. The
second is TO cut up the corn by the bottom
as soon as the ear is glazed, bind the stalks
and ears in small bundles, set them up, and
let them stand till thoroughly cured. In
the first method ouly the upper part Of the
stalk is saved for fodder, bu, the corn ri
pens finely, nothing can be more beautiful
than field in which the huslIs have fallen
from the ripened grain, and The thick gold
en- ears give a promise Of the rich harvest
at hand. Still We prefer the second meth
cd, and tina; from ample experience Of both.
We have our corn cut up by the bottom,
because in that way We save the whole Of
I the stalk for fodder, aud that is no unimpor
tan, matter TO the farmer. In topping, only
the poores, part Of the stalk is saved, for il
cut aud cured properly there is no more nu
lrltous food for animals than the stalk OF
corn. II is true when very large, cattle
and sheep are unable 10 eat them bet il
converted into chaff by cutting machine,
as they can easily be, there is no food eaten
more readily, or with moro profit. 1t is
not hazardng much 10 cay tina. there is
more value 10 an acre Of corn stalks Gu, by
tie bottom aud properly fed out, than in an
acre OF ordinary hay, and no farmer can at
ford TO dispense with such an item in pro-
vidlng for his stock. But the saving in the
stalk IS 10, oil +; experiments show that there
is gain in the gram Of nearly twenty per
cent in cutting by the bottom, IN preference
TO topping. Experiments made by Mr.
Clarke, Judge Buel and others and record
cd IN the volumes Of the Old Genesee Far
mer, AID the Cultivator, place this ms,te
beyo a doubt. In ont made by Mr.
Clark, no found the yield per acre of th'
corn topped, TO be AZ bush, Is lbs, ant
the untopped, 60 bush. lbs. From somt
experiments instituted by ourselves severa
years since, il was asceriained that there
was no difference of consequence IN thu
product, wher the corn was left On the un
touched stalks I'LL harvest, and when they
were cut by the bottom after the corn was
well glazed, but that both these method,
gave greater produce than when topped
10 the usual manner. |, is said that whcr
corn is topped ami after the corn gather
ed, that cattle will eat all that is valuable Of
the stalks, as they stand in the field This
IS certainly a mistake, as the mos, nuiri'
tious part, the main stalk itself, is general.
ly left untouched by them. Ii the corn
crop is well manured, as ii should be, the
cultivation Of the season is an excellent pre-.
paraton Tor wheat, and some Of the best
farmers Of our country use the corn crop
for this purpose. In thus case cutting up
by the bottom is indispensable for the get.
ting in OF the wheat properly; aud il is in
tended TO follow The corn With spring crops,
as is frequently done, such as wheat, oats,
or barley, it will be found that The absence
of the large stalks that dishgure corn
ground when only topped, will greatly ia.
clitate both the putting 10, aud the harvest
4 Ing Of these crops. For all these reasons,
and The additional one, that it is only by
cutting at the bottom that corn can be saw.
ed from the effects Of early frosis when
they occur, we are decidedly of the opinion
that the corn crop Of the country might
annually be increased IN value, were The
method Of cutting it at the bolton 10 be.
come general. Alb. Cultirator,