The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1898-09-24
FARMER ANDPLANTER.
THE SOUTHERN CORN CROP.

Some Suggestions in Regard to Harvest
Ing and Storing the, Grain
and Fodder.
The more common method of harvest
Ing the crop is to pull" the ears, with
u good portion of the husls attached,
leaving all the fodder in the field.
After the crop has been gathered hogs
and cattle are turned into the fields.
and SO q portion of the fodder is
utilized. This seems like wasteful
method, but in region where the corn
stalks are usually large and course,
and where hay can be made and saved
with so little expense. it is often the
most economical and profitable plan.
Whether to cut the stalks and save
them for coarse feed or to give cattle
the range of the field and use the labor
in making other hay depends on the
amounts of feed which can be secured
by equal amounts Of labor. When the
entire stalk is saved the yield of dry
forage per acre is from IL to Q tons,
and of that amount approximately one
fourth, and that the part which is the
most palatable and has the greatest
feeding value, may be saved by turn
ing stock into the field. Taking into
account the amount which will be
gathered by cattle without expense
and the various losses in handling and
feedin the stalks the total additional
amount of feed saved by cutting
is rarely more than one ton
YER acre. 70 secure this addi-
onal ton the entire crop must be
cut, and in order to make more than
half the weight of fodder available for
food all must be run through q shred
der, thoroughly dried and stored in a
dry place. The palatability of the
shredded fodder varies greatly. II the
cutting is done early, while the upper
leaves are still green and the stalk is
not yet dry, the yield of fodder will be
much heavier and of much better
quality than when the cutting is done
later, but the early cutting will cause
loss in the grain Weld, and the fod-
der viii be more difficult to cure. As
already remarked, the only object in
saving the fodder is to secure given
amount of forage foi feeding stock.
On many plantations an equal amount
of forage OF better quality can be Sc
cured if the labor necessary for saving
the corn fodder is used in making and
saving hay, and the farmer who adopts
either of the rotations suggested on a
previous page will rarely find it profit
able to cut, shred and house his corn
stalks.
The results of two years work at
the Alabama college station gives the
stalks value of $2.95 per acre over
the amount received when only the
ears were harvested, and whether
that amount, less the value of
the standing stalks, is sufficient to
cover the cost of cutting and handling
the fodder is question which each
planter muct decide for himself.
When the corn crop is to be followed
by September or October sowing of
clover or any other crop for moving it
will pay to cut the stalks to get them
out of the way, and when the labor of
cutting is necessary for the success of
A. :. -, ,,
va. suceecuing c'op :. win usually pay
wen " save Tue ssaiAs LOT ioooer' as
'ne aou'.'onai eApense VIII oe silgn''
topping corn, l. e. cutung on the
stalk just above the ear after the grain
begins 70 harden,, gives much better
iooder than Is Obtained oy harvesting
'ne wnoie staik' Dn. the iaoor IN
vo,veo Is considerable, the yield OF
iodcer 'gnt, ana the injury 70 Inc
grain yieia Is usually greater tnan the
vaiue OF the 1000 secured. Al the MIS-
sissippi station the removal OF the tops
aurlne 'hree seasons cansea an average
uyo,saSv - ~ PC, cen'. :. .ne gram
yieiu ms iaree Increase IN gram was
dOuDtleSS uuc Partlaliy 10 cutting the