CORN HARVESTING 193 



which consists of a coarse stalk having but little nutritive 

 value. It would probably be a high estimate to say that 

 30 per cent of the total feeding value of the entire plant 

 of large Southern corn is found in the stover. -Yet corn 

 stover is a source of forage well worth saving, especially 

 where hay is scarce or expensive. 



There is usually about one ton of stover for every 25 or 30 

 bushels of grain produced by large Southern varieties. If this 

 stover is shredded, it may have a higher feeding value than 

 an equal weight of cotton-seed hulls. In composition, corn stover 

 is superior to cotton-seed hulls, but the former is less convenient 

 for feeding in connection with cotton-seed meal. 



In one experiment in South Carolina, the cost of cutting and 

 shocking corn was no greater than the cost of pulling the ears from 

 an equal area of standing plants. However, the usual experience 

 is that the former operation generally requires somewhat more 

 labor than merely pulling the ears. 



Whether it is advisable to cut and shock corn or merely to pull 

 the ears, leaving the blades to be grazed by cattle, depends upon 

 (1) the abundance and cheapness of hay, and (2) the cost of 

 shredding, including labor, cost of power, interest and depreciation 

 on shredder, etc. 



Cutting corn and subsequently shredding it will generally be 

 profitable where the cost of shredding is less than $2.50 per ton of 

 stover in regions of cheap hay ; or where it is less than $4.00 per 

 ton in regions of scarce and high-priced hay. To this rule 

 there will obviously be many exceptions. 



When no shredder is available, it is doubtful whether there is 

 any advantage in cutting and shocking corn as compared with 

 merely pulling the ears and grazing the field. The basis for this 

 statement is the fact that it requires more labor to pull the ears 

 by hand from the shocked corn than from the standing plants, and 

 the further fact that quite a large proportion of the stover of 

 large Southern corn, if fed without shredding, is not eaten by 

 live-stock. 



