ON INDIAN COKN. 75 



ing previously cut out the suckers and barren stalks. The field, 

 which I took first, was one in which the corn appeared dead ; but 

 this was occasioned by the rust, not by the frosts. This corn 

 was cut ; and without being laid upon the ground, several hills 

 were brought together, and being spread at bottom, were tied by 

 a single band at the top. Much of this corn upon husking ap- 

 peared of a pale yellow ; and a good deal of it was soft and 

 mouldy. The stocks did not stand firmly ; and were frequently 

 overturned by the wind. Perhaps the centre hill, around which 

 the others were gathered, ought not to have been cut until the 

 time of carrying in the corn, as is practised by some persons. 

 The shocks likewise being large and tied at the end were loaded 

 on the cart with difliculty. We attempted to remedy this by 

 dividing the shock, and tying it with straw in moderately sized 

 bundles before we removed it ; but this greatly increased the la- 

 bor. Upon the whole we entirely disapproved this manner of 

 shocking and tying them. 



Another field, where the corn was slightly glazed and the 

 stalks very green, was cut, tied in small bundles above the ears, 

 and put in small shocks. This corn came out better than the 

 former, but not so well as could be desired. We concluded that 

 it was cut too early and husked too soon, not having remained 

 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 general every kernel 

 on an ear well touched, though the stalks were still green and 

 succulent. It was tied very near the top in small bundles, put 

 up in small shocks, and spread at bottom so as to give free ac- 

 cess to the air. This corn came out at husking perfectly bright 

 and sound ; with less refuse than ordinary ; and the fodder was 

 succulent and of the very best quality. 



The trouble of husking corn gathered in this way though some- 

 what greater than merely husking it in the field on the stalk or 

 after it has been gathered and the ears only carried into the barn, 

 was not upon the whole a difficult job ; and the whole labor of 

 harvesting in this way was not so great as, in the usual way, to 



