150 THE BOOK OF CORN 



and the season is usually sufficiently advanced by tKe 

 time the corn is reasonably mature to escape the warm 

 wet weather that is so destructive to feed of this class. 

 In the light of these investigations and the expe- 

 rience of the most successful farmers, it is considered 

 that when the outer husks and the leaves below the ear 

 have turned yellow but have not become dry; when 

 the stalk and leaves above the ear begin to show the 

 golden tinge, corn will as nearly approximate the 

 maximum yield without sacrificing palatability, and 

 present a condition when the material may be put up 

 in large shocks without danger of molding. At this 

 stage the kernels are fully glazed and practically 

 mature. 



CUTTING CORN FOR FODDER 



Just how to cut and care for corn desired for fod- 

 der is a great problem. When shall it be cut? How 

 long shall it remain in the field ? Shall it be stacked, 

 stored in the barn, or shredded and baled ? The opinion 

 prevails that corn cut on the green order, provided it 

 can be cured perfectly, is more palatable and conse- 

 quently more profitable. Under certain conditions this 

 may be true. When fodder of very high palatability is 

 needed for young growing stock or for animals being 

 fed to the limit, it will undoubtedly pay to cut the 

 fodder rather early,, say about the roasting ear stage, 

 and when the leaves at the bottom of plant have just 

 begun to turn. At this stage the fodder contains a 

 large amount of water and has a high protein content, 

 but is deficient in starch, sugar, gum and the like. It 

 is also comparatively light in weight at this time, and 

 the output per acre is thirty to fifty per cent smaller 

 than if allowed to more completely mature. The bulk 

 of the corn crop should not be cut until considerably 

 later in the season, when the kernels have begun to 



