252 



FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



mature as shown by the following data from the Michi- 

 gan Station: 



TABLE 23. YIELD TO THE ACRE OF DRY WEIGHT AND FEEDING 

 NUTRIENTS IN CORN 



The foregoing data emphasize the folly of harvesting 

 corn before the ears are hard and glazed, even though the 

 stover is to be utilized for feeding stock. 



When the silo first came into use it was thought neces- 

 sary to fill it with corn cut in a green and very succulent 

 condition. Experience has shown the erroneousness of 

 this idea. The best corn silage is now made when the crop 

 is allowed to stand until it has reached that degree of ma- 

 turity indicated by rather hard, well dented or glazed ker- 

 nels and partially dried* husks before it is put in the silo. 

 At this stage the crop still contains enough water to pack 

 sufficiently close in the silo to exclude practically all the 

 air and make a silage of high quality. 



305. Methods of harvesting. There are four meth- 

 ods of harvesting corn in the cotton-belt as follows: 



(1) Stripping the leaves while green for forage and 

 harvesting the ears later. 



(2) Cutting the tops above the ears for forage, the ears 

 being harvested later. 



