HARVESTING AND STORING THE CORN CROP 253 



(3) Harvesting the ears and leaving stalks and leaves 

 in the field. 



(4) Harvesting entire plant for fodder or silage. 



306. Effect of method of harvesting on yield of grain. — 

 The practice of stripping the blades while they are green, 

 or of cutting the tops above the ear for forage is espe- 

 cially common in the South. These methods are founded 

 upon the belief that the best quality of forage is thus 

 secured and the yield of grain is not affected, whereas it 

 is thought that harvesting of the entire plant as fodder 

 materially reduces the yield of grain. These methods 

 of harvesting have been investigated by a mlmber of 

 stations, especially those located in the cotton-belt, with 

 the result that the loss of shelled corn from stripping and 

 topping while the leaves are still green generally amounted 

 to 10 to 20 per cent. This is not far from the average loss 

 sustained when the entire plant is harvested for fodder. 

 The Mississippi Station,^ as a result of three years' trials, 

 found a net loss in feeding value, from topping, of more 

 than 20 per cent. The combined results of seven other 

 stations show an average loss from topping of thirteen 

 bushels an acre, which was said to be "more than the 

 feeding value of the 'fodder' secured." 



The Florida Station ^ found that "pulling fodder" 

 promotes the ravages of the weevil by loosening the husks 

 on the ear before the grains become hard. 



If the practice of "topping" corn or of "stripping" 

 the blades is deferred until the kernels have become 

 hard and glazed as indicated by the husks and a large 

 percentage of the lower leaves having dried up the yield 

 of grain may be decreased very httle if at all. In this 



1 Miss. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui., 33, p. 53. 



2 Fla. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui., 16, p. 8. 



