The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-07-06
Fodder Pulling.
EXPERIMENTS SHOWING THE INJURY DONE

Fodder Pulling.
EXPERIMENTS SHOWING THE INJURY DONE.
We referred in late issue to the ques-
tionable policy Of fodder-pulling, and of
depending for supplies of forage on the
blades saved from the corn crop. 1t has
been frequently stated that the injury
done to the corn by pulling the blades
off at the usual season, is greater than
the worth of the fodder. The matter has
never been accurately determined by any
general system of experiment. which,
however, it is well worth while to do, and
while every ptanter who would learn the
truth should test the question for, hiul-
self. - ...s>:: .slS5s y: =. p
An intelligent planter of Virginia, D..
R. Harrison, of Prince George County,
some years since instituted, careful tests
to ascertain the loss in weight of clean
corn by stripping the blades at the usual
time of fodder-puling, and also by the
practice of topping corn above the ear,
as the usual Virginia custom after the
ear is well-flled. - II
Rows Of equal length, twelve rows
making an acre, the average weight per
row of clean corn is given as follows:
lbssper row.
-Four rows, blades pulled to tep......::.... . : 121
Four rows, stripped and topped at
same time.. ,........,.....,..,lS lS4
Four rows, topped, blades left below
the ear........................ l5S
Four rows, blades on whole, stalk. k.........161
Six rows, blades pulled to the top.........8S
Six rows,y all blades: :left:..... ................125
One row, stripped, tops cut ten days - .
later. .................. ...............90
One row, blades all left...s...... .........142
One row, stripped, tops left en-days.....114
One row, blades all left.....................122
The rows in this experiment being long
and the whole covering several acres Of
land, producing over twenty bushels per
acre, the test is a valuable one.. 1t indi-
Gates a considerable less in every in
stance of comparison, by fodder-pulling.
'Weshave also the report Of another ex-
pertinent of the same nature made agood
many years ago by Mr.. George Seaborn,
Of Pendletan, s. c, and published in the
Greenville Mo,mtaineer at that time.
Mr.. Seaborn4 tested on twelve short
rows of corn as uniform in every respect
as possible, ,-as follows :. } =. } =
, Rows ia 7, and 10 were left with all
4R4 Blades on, when mature: and dry,
shelled out y lbs, measuring 4 pecks, 1
gallon 2quarts and q pints.
.RoYs2, S, Sand II, were stripped of
their blades at the usual period for fod-
'ider.pdIIing, and shelled out IS lbs. only,
and measured 4 pecks and ] pint. The
fodder from these two rows, when cured,
weighed Is lbs. which added to the IS
makes only lb, more. than the clean
corn from the rows on which the blades
were left. .t,. .-ss q, 80 -
The remaining rows, 8, 6, g, ~, Mr..
Seaborn left until the blades were dry up
to the ear, and on some stalks even to
the top then cut up at the roots and
shocked in the field till the other corn
was gathered. It was then hauled in
and ,shucked, and shelled out TOY lbs
measured 4 pecks, I gallon, 2 quarts and
l pint This last result corroborates thai
of the first four rows, and the whole tes
timony, Of the experiments is strongly te
70 tie efectthat by pullingsthe bladeifod
der we lose ip weight of the corn almos
as many pounds as we make in fodder.
TheFeB NO. work on the farm or plan
tation more troublesome than fodder
puIling,...md none in which there ar,
more risks and. anxiety. and losses frou
bad weather thsir fedder-pulling. If il
a ), addition It is q losing business, howeve
''@s successfully done, planters ought to kno,
it. It is to be hoped, some who ar
careful and competent will make tests du
ring the, coming summer and give other
the benefit of the result.
A few acres in drilled corn sown q
thick as three bushels per acre on goo
land, herds grass on wet bottoms, ampl
oat crops, with pea vines, millet, era
---yrass, and few acres In clover, will b
found to.pay infinitely better in the en-
:, than ceafning, our forage crop, to the on
) Aitem ofcorn blades. at the expense of tn
corn itseE.-Bnaer Of the Sosstk.
IL 'fS NJ :-~s --------- -- .-------- =
Plant largely of Ruta Bagas. Fror