1248 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



some of it had actually grown. The difference ia 

 the fodder was still more palpably in favour of No. 

 I ; it evidently exceeding in value either of the other 

 parcels more than one half. 



In an experiment made by us last year, the loss 

 in topping over cutting up was found to be about six 

 bushels to the acre ; in this last experiment it ap- 

 pears to be eleven bushels to the acre. The mini-- 

 ber of ears and the product are less this year than 

 the last, owing to the drought. None of the suck- 

 ers produced ears this year, though many produced 

 them last. 



This experiment confirms us in the opinion we 

 have long entertained, that there is a prodigious 

 waste, both of corn and forage, and, we insist, of la- 

 bour also, in the still common practice of topping 

 corn. And we again beg those who remain incred- 

 ulous in this matter to make the experiment, as we 

 have repeatedly done, and satisfy themselves. Say 

 there are 300,000 acres of corn cultivated in this 

 state, and that the loss by topping is only five bush- 

 els to the acre, the aggregate loss would amount to 

 1,500,000 bushels, equal in value to one million of 

 dollars annually, to say nothing of the loss in labour 

 and forage. 



The reason why topped corn produces less than 

 that which is cut up, although often stated, is here 

 repeated: the topped corn is deprived' of its elabo- 

 rating organs its lungs the leaves above the 

 grain ; and, of course, receives no farther accession 

 of growth, or but very little, while the corn that is 

 cut up retains these organs, which continue to send 

 down nourishment to the grain for some days 

 through the green, succulent stocks. Any fanner 

 may readily satisfy himself that leaves are indispen- 

 sable to growth, by a simple and easy experiment : 

 let him pluck all the leaves from a fruit-bearing 

 branch of an apple, plum, or other fruit-tree, at any 

 stage of growth of the fruit, and he will find that the 



