The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-08-14
Agriculture.
HOW TO Sc THE CORN CROP AGAIN
- DISCUSSED.


Learned Regarding 1t,
correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
Several very valuable papers have
already appeared in The Progressive
Farmer on this interesting subject,
but as it takes cline upon line and
precept upon precept" to get our
people to adopt new and improved
methods, it may not be out of place
to tell what our Virginia people have
learned.
Some years ago the Virginia Sta
ton issued a bulletin giving an ac-
count of the great success of a corn
husker and fodder cutter used by the
Station. This brought so many in
quiries that the Station found it
necessary to issue another and more
exhaustive bulletin, No 73, fully
treating of the whole subject of har-
vesting and preserving the fodder of
the corn crop.
Chemical analyses and feeding
tests at several stations have proved
that only about half the nutritive
value of the corn plant is stored in
the ear, the other half residing in the
husk, stalk and blades. The corn
crop being by far the most important
of all American feeding crops, the
proper saving of half its value is
problem of vast importance.
Some varieties of corn mature
much earlier than others, hence it is
not possible to name q date for be-
ginning the harvest of the plant;
but the best time is when the ears
are sufficiently hardened and the tips
of the bottom blades begin to turn
yellow. Then the work should be
done quickly, the horse power ma
chimes, that have become so plenti-
full and cheap, being recommended
for this work.
In the warm, damp portions of the
Gulf States fodder cannot be cut and
shocked in the field it will mould
and decay. In such places the blades
are stripped from the standing stalks,
which lets the sun in to the ground,
fine growth Of crab grass hay that is
worth more than the corn fodder
would be. But in all other portions
of the United States the whole corn
plant should be harvested by cutting
near the ground and preserving in
silO or shocking in the field, thence
to be hauled to the barn and husked
and stored away as soon as cOnven-
lent after it has sufficiently cured.
The Virginia Station finds it best
to make shocks twelve hills square,
putting IA hills of two stalks each,
or 2S8 stalks in a shock. To prevent
molding it is best to cut the middle
six rows and place in shocks, and
then wait a few days for this to cure
before cutting and adding the other
SIX rows, three on each side. In
drier climates shocks may be sixteen
hills square.
As soon as the stalks as we'll as the
blades have dried out, haul to the
barn, husk out and store away.
1t is a common practice with most
farmers to husk the corn in the field
and reshOck the fodder, to be hauled
out and used as required throughout
the fall and winter. The bulletin
says: By this means losses occur in
several ways, the portions last used
have been exposed to the winters
SHOWS and winds, and when placed
before the animals much of it would
be trampled into the soft ground,
and yet more spoiled by the excre-
ment of the cattle being fed, while
the stalks would be a nuisance for
months to come. Another method,
and one we have used once, is to
stack the fodder as soon as husked,
beng careful to place the butts at all
out the weather. If covered with
poor hay OF straw this answers very
Wei. only open to objections of feed
M, as mentioned above. In many
ol the Northern States stover is
A'oSed and ted in the barns, but may
Dr. 50 handled better there than here,
'~ corn is more dwarf in its habits,
o4s cold climate causing a rapid
growth, but Il smaller plant. In the
south we should find much difficulty
.N handling it in barns if housed as
A"1led from the field, hence the
many implements for reducing the