The Colfax chronicle., 1903-10-24
FARMER AND PLANTER.
sHREDING CORN STALKS.
A North Carolina Farmer Who
Doesn't Believe in 1t With Ex-
plantations I'm Its Favor.

time, and think II good agricultural
paper, and that you are doing a good
work for farmers of the south. have
been farming for half century, and
have some experience in that line. In
your last issue | think you put too
great stress, and masnified the saving
and shredding OF corn stalks beyond
their true value That shredded corn
stalks have some value as a food for
stock / admit, but all the value is In
the blades and shucks-the hard stalk
and pith is no good and stock will not
eat 1t. True it does for bedding, but 1t
is rather expensive bedding. Farmers
can get plenty of bedding for stock
without the trouble and expense Oh
shredding it. You say that cutting
down the corn stalk does not hurt the
corn. If this is so, 1t is strange. Cut
down tree, or sprout, or weed, or any
other plant, and it instantly withers
and shrinks away. Is the corn plant
an exception? We know that all the
nutriment a plant gets comes from the
root, and il this is cut OFF it dies and
shrinks up. A neighbor who runs
gin and mill says he can tell corn that
has been cut and shredded as soon as
he puts 1t I'M the mill. 1t is light and
chaffy, and not solid like corn that has
stood until the grain is hard and fully
matured. He has tried shredding, and
says "a man should not cut his corn
and shred it, If he would do it for
nothing"
.'You say the crop of corn stalks is
worth as much as the corn, and as
much as cottonseed. l for one do not
believe 1t. Corn stalks, taking on the
blades and shucks, is worth no more
than cotton stalks, and should be left
OIL the land for humus. True they will
not make much humus, but they are
worth more for that than anything
else.
"Again- you say 'shredders are not
expensive Well, to run shredder
you must have steam engine, and the
outfit costs more than the average
farmer is able to afford. II farmers
would plant or sow their corn land in
peas and then NOW 1t after they gath
er the corn, they would have plenty
of better hay than shredded corn
stalk.
Il regret to differ with you on this
matter, but with my experience and
the light before me, l prefer the old
way" r. II. HARRIS.
Pineville, N. G.
Stuck fast in the old rut. Our cor
respondents position is rather pecul-
lar. The shredding of corn is valued
because it prepares the stalk for food
as well as the blade, and thus very
greatly increases the quantity of food.
Experiments and analysis both show
that the stalk is equal in feeding value
to the blades and shucks. Expert
ments also show, that when the sherd-
ding is properly done, the stock eat
stalk and ALL And further, that they
work and fatten on shredded hay as
well as on other kinds. Sometimes the
shredding is not well done or the feed
ing Is not properly proportioned, and
then stock leave some in the troughs.
But this is not the case when the work
is we'll and rightly done.
We have the experience of hundreds
which show that it is fully equal to
other kinds of hay.
AS to the cutting of the corn stalk
injuriNg the corn, we wish to say that
1t does not do SO. If cut at the right
time. The corn should stand until the
fodder or blades are well ripened-a
week later than you would pull fod-
der, until the grains are w~ll glazed.
We will explain how it is that the
cutting does not injure or make the
grain lighter.
The roots of corn take the crude sar
from the earth or soil and send II
through the stalk to the blades. The
blades are the workshop of plants
Here, by the aid of sunshine and chlo-
rophyI this crude sap is worked over
The food elements are extracted and
sent each to their proper place. The
food suited to the roots is sent bach
TO them. The food suited to the diff
ferent parts of stalk growth is sem
each kind to its proper place. The
food suited to making the grain is sehi
to the grain. No mistakes are made
In this wonderful work.
Now If you take of the blades o.
corn or leaves of any plant you stoI
this work st once Hence corn grains
dc mt fill out after the fodder is
pulled.
But II you will examine a corn stall
you will find that at the time we say
cut your corn for shredding the little
hair-like feeding roots are dead ant
will not send any more sap to th'
blades, hence there is no damage done
by cutting the stalk just above thu
, roots.
Again It is q law of plant life tha
II you injure or wound the plant all III
enegries are at once directed to hasten
ing. the production and maturing o
seed. Thus in this case as soon as yol
cut the corn stalk every energy Of 1T
being is used to hasten the filling o
the grains. And as the leaves or blades
are stiil on the stalk, this work goe'
on rapidly as they die. This is st
wonderfully done that the corn will b
heavier than IL you pulled the fodde
and left the stalk standing. Not onl,
this, but numerous careful experiment.