CORN 73 



cultivating, the surface should be left as level as possible so 

 that there is no increased opportunity for evaporation. 



Harvesting. — The feeding value of the stalk and the grain 

 is greatest when the lower leaves of the stalk have begun to 

 ripen and when the kernels of the ears are glazed over and 

 have begun to dent and the husks are drying up. If corn is 

 either to be shocked or put into the silo, the cutting should be 

 done at this time. By far the largest part of the corn crop is 

 allowed to ripen on the stalk, but by so doing about half of 

 the feeding value of the stalks is lost. Cutting the corn in- 

 sures a more profitable use of the entire plant. Formerly corn 

 was cut entirely by hand and put into shocks, but now many 

 farmers have corn binders, some of which both cut and shock 

 the corn. Shocks should be made large, so that there will be 

 as little fodder exposed to the weather as possible. However, 

 they must not be so large that they will not dry out well. 

 Shocks containing one hundred to one hundred and twenty 

 hills are about the right size to dry out properly. 



Before going further we must explain two words. The 

 word "fodder" means the entire plant before the ears are 

 husked. The word "stover'' is applied to the stalk after the 

 corn is husked. Formerly the husking was all done by hand, 

 but now much of it is done by machinery. When the corn 

 is dry enough to husk, and this is when the grains will shell 

 off the cob, the fodder is run through a machine which 

 snaps off the ears, pulls off the husks, and at the same 

 time, tears up the stover into shreds. The ears run out of a 

 chute into a wagon-box. This is called husking and shred- 

 ding. The shredded stover is blown into a mow where it is 

 convenient for feeding. The ears are usually put into a crib 

 or hauled to market, or they may be used for feeding at once. 



