THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



15 



quite conformable to ray own and to the expe- 

 rience of many other larmers. '*' This twenty 

 per cent, is not saved at the expense oi' losing the 

 Btalks ; they are worth as much, and I think more, 

 all things considered, after the corn is harvested, 

 than they are when gathered in the usual way. 

 ir, alter being bunched up in a green stale, they 

 heat or become mouldy, (a case of frequent 

 occurrence.) they are utterly worthless, except it 

 be ibr manure ; I know of no animal that will eat 

 them. But alter they have once been dried by 

 the sun and wind, a subsequent moderate degree 

 of mouldiness, seems to be no injury." This con- 

 Ibrms to the opinion of one of ilie best farmers in 

 Northlield, Franklin county, who is in the habit of 

 gathering his corn and then cutting up the sialk al 

 the ground. 



The mode of harvesting Indian corn is of con- 

 siderable importance. On this subject the opi- 

 nions of farmers are at variance. Some chffose to 

 top the stalks as soon as the corn is glazed, and 

 gather the corn after it has become fully ripened. 

 Others prefer leaving the whole until the grain is 

 sufficiently ripened to be cribbed, then gathering 

 the corn, husking it as it isgaihered, and collecting 

 the fodder afterwards. Others choose as soon as 

 the corn is glazed, or is so far advanced that an 

 ear fit for roasting is not to be found in the field, to 

 cut the whole up at the ground and shock it in the 

 field Ibr ripening. This practjce, is almost univer- 

 sal in New York, but it prevails only partially in 

 Franklin county, where in general the first describ- 

 ed mode of harvesting is adopted. In many places 

 the but-stalks after the corn is gathered, are left 

 in the field to be browsed by cattle, a manage- 

 ment which is wasteful, and has nothing to recom- 

 mend it. 



1 shall take the liberty in this matter to detail 

 my own experience, while a resident in this coun- 

 ty. The leaving the corn untopped until it is 

 sufficiently advanced tor gathering, and then cut- 

 ting it up at bottom, allowing it to finish the ripen- 

 ing in tlie shock, has sometimes with me been 

 attended with success. In some cases, however, 

 I have had by this management so much mouldy 

 and soft corn as to question its expediency. But 

 as I think I have discovered the causes of my 

 failure, this method now commends itself strongly 

 to myjudgmenf. 



The summer of 1832 was so cold, that corn 

 generally was three weeks behind its usual condi- 

 tion ; and fears were entertained that the crop 

 would be entirely cut off. On the 9ih of Septem- 

 ber there was a slight, and on the 12ih and 13ih, 

 there were severe frosts. Corn was generally in 

 the milk ; and, in many places, much was killed. 

 The fogs on the river near my residence served as 

 a protection to my crop. Under these threatening 

 appearances, fearing through delay the loss of my 

 wfiole crop, I determined to cut up the whole al 

 the ground as soon as it should be slightly glazed ; 

 and the results and facts in relation to it, I took 

 pains to record. 



I was desirous lo ascertain whether corn cut in 

 the milk and not at all glazed, would ripen. 

 Three stalks with one ear on each were cut in 

 this condition and placed in as favorable a si- 

 tuation as possible for the access of the sun and 

 air. They ripened perfectly ; and to appearance 

 became as fair and hard and heavy as any ; but 

 the experiment on a whole field could not be 



advised, as so favorable a situation for curing a 

 large quantity could seldom be obtained. I began 

 cutting my corn on the 14ih September, alter 

 having previously cut out the suckers and barren 

 stalks. In the fieldwhich I look first, the corn ap- 

 peared dead ; but this was occasioned by the rust, 

 not by the frosts. This corn being cut at the 

 boliom and not sufTered to he laid upon the ground, 

 several hills were brought together, the stalks 

 were spread widely al (he bottom, and were lied 

 by a single band at the top. Much of this corn 

 upon husking, iippearrd of a pale yellow, and a 

 good deal of it was soft and mouldy. The shocks 

 did not stand firmly, and many were over-turned 

 by the wind. The centre hill, around which the 

 stalks were gathered, should not have been cut 

 until the time of husking, but should have been 

 left as a support to the shock. Another field 

 wliere the corn was slightly glazed and the stalks 

 very green, was cut, lied in small bundles above 

 the ears and put in small shocks or slooks. This 

 came out better than the former, but not so well 

 as could be desired. It was cut too early, and 

 was not suffered to remain long enough in the 

 shock. 



Two other fields were necessarily left to a later 

 period after the corn had become fully glazed, that 

 IS in the main every kernel on an ear was well 

 touched, though the stalks were still green and 

 succulent. It was tied near the top in small 

 bundles ; put up in small shocks, and spread at 

 bottom so as lo give free access to the air. ^This 

 corn at husking came out bright and sound, with 

 less refuse than ordinary ; and the fbdder was suc- 

 culent and of the best quality. 



There is a small matter connected with this 

 subject lo which my attention was directed by an 

 excellent farmer in the county. His advice was 

 by no means to shock the corn, thus cut up and 

 iraihered, upon grass ground, as is often done on 

 the borders of the field, because the grass is likely 

 to exclude the air from the bottom of the shocks. 

 Upon the whole my own judgment, especially 

 liable as we are to early frosts, is to cut up and 

 shock the corn as above described as soon as it is 

 well glazed ; and it is a safe error to do it too early 

 rather than too late. The fodder in such case is 

 always of superior quality. 



RELATIVE MERITS OF BERKSHIRES AND WO- 

 BURNS — BANTER FROM MR. MAHARD TO 

 DR. MARTIN. 



From ttie Kentuclty Farmer. 



The reader will find below a letter written by 

 Mr. Mahard upon the relative merits of Woburns 

 and Berkshires. We have admitted it on the 

 ground that it discusses facts interesting lo the 

 breeding public in relation to two popular breeds 

 of swine and particularly as it proposes a test of 

 their comparative merits in a way more satisfac- 

 tory than any hitherto tried. At the same time, 

 however, we regret to perceive that Mr. M. has 

 adopted a style of discussion calculated lo provoke 

 a controversy hkely to degenerate into personality. 

 Although individually sick and tired of mere pa- 

 per discussions on the question, which is the best 

 breed of hogs, we do not feel at liberty to decline 

 discussions which may lead to the discovery of 



