154 THE BOOK OF CORN 



BEST TIME TO CUT CORN FOR FODDER 



Extensive experiments to determine the best time 

 for cutting- corn have been conducted at the Pennsyl- 

 vania station, at one time and another, and the results 

 are remarkably uniform, all pointing to the advisability 

 of allowing the corn to become quite well matured 

 before cutting and shocking. In 1891 Professor Hunt 

 made three cuttings. The first was September 1 and 2, 

 when the leaves and husks were green and the kernels 

 mostly in the roasting ear stage. The second cutting 

 was made September 25, when a few of the lower 

 leaves were dead, but the husks were still green. The 

 kernels on about three-fourths of the ears were dented. 

 On some ears they were quite hard and on others still 

 unglazed. The third cutting was made October 7 and 

 8, when two-thirds of the leaves were dead and the 

 kernels mostly hard. Fodder from these cuttings was 

 carefully analyzed. The fodder was then fed to milch 

 cows. The combined results of this investigation show 

 that the most and best food for making butter was 

 secured when the fodder was cut September 25. The 

 yield of fodder was greatest when the corn was cut 

 after being well ripened. Fodder allowed to remain in 

 the field ten to fifteen weeks after cutting lost twenty 

 per cent in value. 



Taking into consideration all the Pennsylvania 

 experiments along this line, Professor H. B. Armsby 

 points out that corn should be allowed to mature pretty 

 fully before cutting. In every experiment the amount 

 of dry matter increased very rapidly after growth had 

 apparently ceased. This increase takes place in the grain 

 and consists of the storing up of starchy material and 

 fat. Part of this comes from the a:r and part of it from 

 the leaves and stalks. Where early harvesting is desir- 

 able less loss occurs by planting some of the large, rank 



