The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-07-21
(FOreign)
ADVICE
FOR THE FARMERS

In view of the big corn crops now
being raised in Florida, the following
from the Times-U Union is timely:
Shock the Corn
Commenting favorably on an edi-
toriaI in last Tuesdays issue in which
we endeavored to show the loss to the
farmer incurred through fodder pull
ing, a correspondent asks us to pre-
sent the arguments in favor of
much more profitable practice, shock
ing corn, saying:
I write to suggest to you that while
damning fodder pulling it would be an
excellent thing if you wrote an artl-
Gle at this time giving instructions
on a system giving the same results
as fodder pulling, only at greater
profit and without the least injury to
the ear corn. l refer to shocking the
] corn about ten or fifteen days after
fodder pulling time. learn that
shocking is rarely practiced in this
northern part of Florida, although 1T
NAV be in some other parts of the
state. but I have not been in the
country long enough to know. l have
seen shocking carried out In South
Africa and the northern part of
South America by cattle men extern
sively and with excellent economical
results. | hope you will find time to
give us this article soon so that 1t
could be practiced by cattle men IN
this state this season. L intend
shocking twenty to forty acres as
time and weather permit this season.
The feeding of "pulled" corn leaves
to live stock is compared by Prof. e.
X. McQuarrie, of the farmers CO.
operative demonstration work, to the
giving of candy to human beings
The animals relish it, but it does
1 them about as much permanent gooC
as the candy does the child. Its value
is rather that of condimcnt, but the
ear has been robbed of considerable
more of food values than the leaves
contained. The analysis of corr
leaves shows but three per cent OF
protein and six or seven per cent Of
carbohydrates. Contrast this will
the analysis of beggarweed, to taxi
an example from among the mos
highly valuable of the forage plants
Beggarweed analyses: Protein 10 t.
10 per cent; carbohydrates, 81 to g.
per cent.
When corn is shocked some tel
!, days or two weeks later than tn
time when the plant would have bee
robbed of its leaves by those who fol
low this ruinous fodder pulling prac
tice, the ear is nearer maturity, tn
Juices in the stalk are sufficient
> elaborated, and the whole plant i
good condition to mature further i
the shock. The sap has had time t
ripen. The ear, now richer in foo
elements for the time the whole plan
: has been allowed to stand unmutilat
ed in the row, is protected from tn
: sun and rain while it is maturing
provided the shock is well made. TIL
!; value of the whole plant-the stal
n and leaves-as fodder is very muc
: greater than that of the leaves alon
if the latter had been pulled, and tn
Il stalk is full of ripened juices. TIL
- value of the ears, as food or feed,
: very much greater than if it had ha
Il nothing but crude sap to draw upo
from the time the leaves were pulle
y off until the time when the ear itse
% was plucked from the stalk.
The shocks should be composed
q from $50 to 200 stalks each. This wi
"a make a shock of about four fe
&c diameter. 1t should not be so lars
~ as to prevent thorough ventilation.
lc should be so built as to be easily tie
IL as high up as possible, thereby ma
ing it waterproof-s that it W
81 shed rain. Those who have not be'
X accustomed to shocking their CO..
IS may get further information if th'
desire better directions, by address
ing C. K. McQuarrie, state agent,
lie C. d. W., Gainesville.