The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-08-24
Fodder Pulling.

This is one Of the pcculiaritics of the
Southern system Of farming. In the
North and West we believe it is never
practiccd rs We do it-that is, the blades
are not stripped from the stalk cne by
one, and the stalks left in the field. We
are not sure that we can assign the exact
season tor this difference in practice. 1t
seems to have reference entirely to eli
mate--eithcr directly or Indirectly. Our
Southern orn'stalks are large and the
corn natures long before frost. Owing
to the size O! the stalks they are diff.
cult to cure, being apt TO sour and mil
dew. The Northern corn s smaller of
stalk and ripcns Mt about the time of the
first frost. In fact, frost often occurs
north of the Ohio river, before the ears
are dry enough to be secure from injury
thereby. So the e2..:rs &c The stalk
and all" is often imposed as necessity
that the cars may be saved from the
effects Of the frost and permitted to har-
den and dry in the shocks. Another
reason for the Northern practice is found
in the necessity Of providing more
abundant store for feeding their moro
numerous animals during their long
and severe winters.
1t has often been urged that the prac-
tice of stripping the blades al with us,
is injurious to the corn and should be
discontinued. We have no doubt that
corn is often seriously injured and come
times to tho extent Of the value of the
fodder. But where the seasons have been
good and the cultivation regular, fodder
pulled at the right stage Of the corn will
not seriously hurt the latter. On land
abounding iu vegetable matter, the ear
itself is usually the first to give indica-
ton Of maturity and of the approaching
death of the plant, the blades continu.
ing green until the grain is we'll glazed,
the shuck has begun to brown aud be-
come loose. No possible harm can re-
sult If the fodder pulling is deferred un-
til this period, and but little loss will be
occasioned even if the blades be pulled
some days earlier. This ripening of the
ears of corn is quite analogous to the
ripening of all fruits and vegetables
which occurs before the foliage has
turned brown from approaching death
and decay.
1t is to bo regretted that the supply of
our available cured forage is too often
measured by the yield Of blade fodder
from tho regular field crop of corn. The
supply from this source is generally in.
ouniSicht " uoie tnah supply WORK
stock mules and horses-and is often
far short Of this demand. Corn forage,
or corn sown very thickly on rich land
and cut and curcd as they do in tile
North, would yield far moro abundant
and cheaper, if not better, forage than
the blades. The latter makes excellent
fodder, hardly excelled by the best hay,
ta: :hs quantity :s s!"ays shc.. cf what
the demand should be. The truth is.
Southern farmers feed too much grain
and too little hay. They have been too
much accustomed TO consider fodder,
nay, shucks, ETC., as merely intended to
fill up" Long forage does serve this
purpose, but supplies very consider.
able portion of the nutrive elements of
food, and in proportion to quality will
relieve tho necessity for grain and at
greatly less xpense.-iSouthern World.