The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-09-28
AGRICULTURAL.
EXPERIMENTS IN HARVESTING
CORN


SIN the first week of September, we
went with two neighbors into our corn
field, where our men were cutting up corn,
and caused SO hills to be cut up, where
we found them at work, which was of the
fair average quality Of the field, and stock
ed separately; adjoining which sc hills
were topped, in the usual way; and third
parcel of 80 hills, Immediately adjoining
the last, was left to ripen upon the entire
stock. On the 23d of September we pro-
ceeded to pick, husk and weigh the corn
on the several Parcels. The result was
as follows:
No. l, cut up, had I26 ears, weighing So l-2 lbs
No ?, topped, l27 50 lbs o.
No. 3. standing lbs 52Ibs IOoz
Although the parcels selected were sup
posed to be similar, it was perceived, after
the corn was gathered, that an apple tree
giving shade to six or seven feet broad,
stood in No 3-the whole field being a
young orchard-which undoubtedly had
an influence in lessening the product of
that parcel-as it might reasonably have
been expected to have exceeded thar Of
No. |.
In regard TO the condition Of The grain,
OF the different parcels, that of No. | -,
which had been cut up and stocked, was
unqueStIonably best; it was dry, sound g.
bright; while much of Nos ? and 3, which
had been topped, or left standing entire,
had fallen upon the ground, was wet or
mouldy, and some Off had actually grown
The difference in the fodder was still more
palpably in favor of No. lit evidently ex-
ceeded in value either of the other parcels
more than one half
Our neighbors, c. n. Bement and Sid
ney Chaplin, were present. and assisted in
the cutting up, topping. picking, husk-
ing. weighing and examining, the several
parcels, and have authorized us 10 say
that they fully concur in the preceding
statement
In our experiment Of the last year, the
loss in topping. over cutting up, was found
to be about six bushels; in the above de-
tailed experiment it appears 10 be eleven
bushels on the acre 1t will also be OBJ
served, on referring to our former expert
ment, that the number Of ears, and the
product, is less than it was last year. tho
many produced them last year.
This experiment confirms US in tho O.
pinion we have long ente rtalned, that there
lis prodigious waste, beth in corn and
forage, and we insist in labor also, in the
still common practice of topping corn.
And we again beg, that those who remain
incredulous in the matter, will make the
experiment as we have repeatedly done,
and satisfy themselves. Say there are 30O,-
900 acres of corn cultivated IN this state,
and that the loss by topping is only five
bushels to the acre, the aggregate loss
would amount to ,500,0 900 bushels, equal
TO at least one million of dollars annually,
to say nothing of the loss Of labor and for
age.
The cause of the topped corn having
produced les than that which was cut
up, although often stated, is here repeated ;
the topped corn was deprived of its elabo-
rating organs-the lungs-the leaves a.
bove the grain, and of course received no
farther accession of growth, or but very
little: while the corn cut up retained these
organs, which continued TO send down
nouri,hment to the grain for some DAYS
through its green succulent stocks Any
farmer may satisfy himself readily that
leaves are indispensable to growth, by 4
simple and easy experiment: let him pluck
all the leaves from fruit-bearing branch
of the apple, plum, or other fruit tree, at
any stage of growth of the fruit-and he
will find that the fruit on such limb will
neither grow nor mature in flavor where
there are no leaves-though it may change
its colour.