INDIAN CORN OR MAIZE. 27 



much after maturity that a great deal of the nutri- 

 ment in the stalk is lost before the corn is eaten. 

 Because of this overcuring, the palatability of the 

 corn is greatly lessened ; hence much of it will not be 

 consumed. A large proportion of it becomes broken 

 down and fouled, which causes still further waste. 

 And the cattle are oftentimes required to graze 

 upon it when the weather is unfavorable, hence there 

 is a loss from thus exposing the animals. Of course, 

 it is better to pasture the corn thus than not to pas- 

 ture it at all. But the stover would furnish much 

 more food if it were harvested and fed to other ani- 

 mals as needed. The prodigality of some of the 

 western farmers of this country finds a striking illus- 

 tration in this wasteful method of handling, or rather 

 not handling, corn stover. Each acre of the food, if 

 properly utilized, is worth as much as an acre of 

 average timothy hay. 



