HARVESTING AND STORING THE CORN CROP 255 

 TABLE 25. YIELDS OF CUBED CORN TOPS, STOVER AND BLADES l 



With the yields of grain given above, which are far above 

 the average for the cotton-belt states, less than one-fourth 

 ton of tops is secured from an acre and approximately 

 one-fourth ton of blades. The value of the forage thus 

 secured cannot compensate for the loss of grain and the 

 cost of harvesting. 



308. Cutting and shocking the entire plant. Experi- 

 ments conducted by the Alabama Station indicate that 

 cutting and shocking corn is more profitable than "top- 

 ping." If done at the proper time, the yield of grain is 

 not materially decreased. By this method all the forage 

 is saved at a minimum expense and the early use of the 

 land for the next crop is secured. Also the old stalks are 

 not left on the land to interfere with the seeding of small 

 grain. Farmers in the more humid sections of the cotton- 

 belt are somewhat averse to cutting and shocking corn 

 owing to the danger of losing the crop by " rotting" before 

 it can be shredded or otherwise housed from the weather. 

 This danger can be much reduced by decreasing both the 

 size of the bundles and the size of the shocks. 



309. Harvesting the ears only. In sections where 

 hay is easily and cheaply produced, harvesting only the 



1 Ala. Agr. Exp. Sta., Bui. 134, p. 190. 



