144 INDIAN CORN. 



is a gain of from five to ten bushels per acre in the 

 amount of grain, by cutting the corn near the ground. 

 In a trial made by Mr. Clarke, of Northampton, Mas- 

 sachusetts, an acre of topped corn was found to have 

 lost between six and eight bushels of grain by the 

 process. 



But in addition to the loss of grain from this prac- 

 tice, there is a further loss in the stalk, which, if cut 

 at the right season, and cured with care, forms an ex- 

 cellent article of fodder. The most enlightened cul- 

 tivators, whose experience in the best mode of using 

 this provender has taught them how to appreciate it, 

 are invariably careful in securing the whole of their 

 stalk crop, and would no sooner leave a portion of it 

 standing in the field than they would abandon a sim- 

 ilar amount of any other crop they raise. They would 

 regard every ton of stover thus relinquished as a need- 

 less sacrifice, equivalent in amount of loss to the 

 abandonment of so much hay. ISTo sane man would 

 think, for a moment, of gathering his timothy or clover 

 by this "topping" process ; nor is there any sufficient 

 reason why he should leave the half of his stalk crop 

 to perish in the field. 



The usual argument in defence of this practice, 

 that the stalks thus relinquished are not lost but con- 

 sumed by cattle turned subsequently into the field for 

 the purpose, can have but little force with any man 

 who has seen the experiment tried. The class of farm- 

 ers who adopt this improvident course and justify it by 

 this kind of reasoning, when advised to cut their corn- 

 fodder before feeding, invariably reply that there is no 



