i V li V 



THE STALK CROP. 



THE stover of Indian corn, slighted as it too often 

 is, has come to be a large and valuable item in Amer- 

 ican husbandry. Its nutritive value for feeding pur- 

 poses, and the amount yielded per acre, render it in- 

 trinsically and practically an important crop. It is 

 cultivated on three different plans. 



1. It is grown primarily and most extensively as 

 an integral part of the regular corn crop, in which 

 case the grain is the chief object in view, the stalks 

 holding a subordinate place. 



2. It is also raised as an exclusive fodder crop, 

 which is cured and harvested in the fall for winter 

 use. In this case the grain, being no part of the ob 

 ject, is excluded by close planting, which gives a more 

 abundant yield of the stalk. Again : 



3. It is extensively grown as a green crop for cat- 

 tle during summer and autumn. This process of soil- 

 ing, as it is technically called, is found to be very 

 profitable, and is getting to be largely practised. 



"When to these various forms of the stalk crop is 

 added the immense supply of sweet corn extensively 

 cultivated by the farmer for table use, we have still 



