184 



Cutting of Stalks. ^ 



Vol. IV. 



of the stalk is cut off immediately after husk- 

 ing and stacked by the barn yard to be thrown 

 in as wanted through the winter. When tJie 

 corn is suffered to stand in the field without 

 topping until after it is husked, there is an 

 almost total loss of the fodder by winds and 

 rain. The advocates of this practice say the 

 corn is better than when topped or cut off 

 and shocked — again, those who cut it off say 

 that there is more in measure and of equal 

 quality in their practice ; tliose who top ad- 

 here to the opinion, that their practice is best, 

 believing that the grain has more nutriment. 

 The opinion has heretofore generally pre- 

 vailed, that sun and air were essentially ne- 

 cessary to the fully maturing of vegetables — 

 is Indian corn an exception to this rale? 

 Does the sap circulate in vegetables after 

 they are cut off and begin to dry, and if not, 

 in what manner does unripe grains of corn 

 receive the requisite quantity of nourishment 

 to bring them to a state of full perfection? is 

 there no way by which to test the actual 

 quantity of nutriment there is in the different 

 kinds of corn 1 and also of the same kind 

 when left standing, cut off or topped ? If there 

 is, and the experiment was satisfactorily 

 made by repeated trials on a given quantity 

 of each and published in the Cabinet, it would 

 much gratify a 



Montgomery County Farmer. 



From the New England Farmer. 

 Cutting of Stalks. 



Several writers have, within a few years, 

 recommended to let corn stalks stand until 

 harvest, and then take all together. They 

 say the corn will weigh more, and that it is 

 not more work to harvest the crop than when 

 the stalks are cut. Tlie corn may be a little 

 heavier; hut suppose it is, that advantage is 

 more than counterbalanced by the extra la- 

 bour caused by the stalks not being cut, be- 

 sides a loss of valuable fodder. I have, in 

 several instances, had a frost take part of my 

 corn before tlie stalks were cut, so as to kill 

 the leaves, but not to injure the corn, and did 

 not cut the stalks ; and have, in every in- 

 stance, found that it cost more to liarvest the 

 crop, than to cut the stalks and secure them, 

 and then harvest the corn ; that is, it is cheaper 

 to secure them separately, than to take both 

 at once. When stalks and corn are cut both 

 at once they are too bulky, and it takes much 

 more room to secure theoi than to take the 

 stalks off first, and bind them in bundles. 



Curing of Stalks. — It is a favourite 

 method with some, to bind their stalks as 

 soon as they think they will do, and innne- 

 diately secure them under cover, and liang 

 or set them up in an airy place. So managed, 

 they look very nice, but do cattle like them 



best ] This is what we want. Now it is a 

 fact 1 have learned from actual experiment, 

 that housing them is not the better way, but 

 another way is better, as any man's cattle 

 will tell him, if he will but try it. It is this 

 — the next day after the stalks are cut, when 

 the leaves are not so dry as to crumble, bind 

 them in small bundles, and then shock them, 

 or as it is called where I live, pike them — 

 which is, to set eight or ten bundles, or such 

 number as appears to be suitable to make a 

 pike of proper shape to shed rain, on their 

 butts — draw their tops together and cap with 

 two bundles — wli^n they are sufficiently dried 

 to keep, put them into some building, and if 

 the butts are too green, place the bundles to 

 stand with the butts upwards. In this way 

 my cattle prefer them to any other : there is 

 a sweetness in them that cannot be had whea 

 dried in a building. 



Mixing of Corn. — Here I shall differ from 

 all that I have ever read, or heard spoken on 

 this subject. The common opinion is, that 

 the blossom on the top stalk falls on the end 

 of the ear, and causes the mixture. This 

 seems to me to be hartlly possible, when it is 

 considered that the silk, as it is called, lops 

 down as soon as it has gi-own beyond the 

 length |)f the ears, and also that it is not pro- 

 bable that one blossom in a thousand, or the 

 farina, lodges on the end of the ear. My 

 theor}'', and / believe it to be the true one is, 

 that there is a silk from the bottom, that is, 

 next the cobb, of every kernel of corn : the 

 silk is hollow — a tube, so to express it. Go 

 into a field with a good glass, when this gen- 

 dering takes place, and I believe there will 

 be seen a vapor, or myriads of vapors, resem- 

 bling so many spiders' webs, leading in all 

 directions, from the top stalks to the ends of 

 the ears— I saw it once with my naked eye. 

 This, in my poor opinion, is the way in which 

 corn mixes, — it is by sympathj', or attraction, 

 or whatever name the learned may call it by. 



By my observation, corn seldom mixes 

 more than two rows each way, when two 

 kinds or colours are planted side by side— 

 whereas if it were done by the blossom fall- 

 ing on the ear, I see not why it might not' 

 mix for a much greater distance, by the wind; 

 blowing the blossoms. 



Dec. 23, 1839. A Farmer. 



Kasy Mofle of Etl;:jing Razors* 



On the rough side of a strap of Icatlicr, or 

 undressed calf-skin binding of a book, rub a 

 piece of tin, or a common pewter spoon, for 

 half a minute, or till the leather becomes 

 glossy wilh the metal. If the razor be passed 

 over this leather about half a dozen times, it 

 will acquire a finer edge than by any other 

 method. — Mechanics' Ma&azine, 



