232 CORN CROPS 



shown/ however, that both stripping and topping reduce 

 the yield of grain, so that it is doubtful whether the total 

 yield of grain secured is greater than when the whole 

 plant is harvested as fodder. The loss of shelled corn has 

 generally amounted to 10 to 20 per cent, which is about 

 the usual loss when harvested as fodder. 



The Texas station reports the labor expense of topping 

 and stripping to be as follows : — 



Tops only: Cost per ton of dry-cured fodder .... |2.13 

 Leaves only: Cost per ton of dry-cured fodder . . . . 7.67 



As it takes about four acres to produce a ton of leaves 

 and half as much for a ton of tops, the value of the forage 

 secured does not compensate for the loss of grain and 

 cost of harvesting. 



159. Hand cutters. — Probably the first tool used in 

 harvesting fodder was the hoe. Corn knives came into 

 use in time, those made from old scjrthe blades being the 

 most common at first. Corn " hooks " were also made 

 by inserting a short blade at about right angles in a short 

 wooden handle. There are severd,l standard types of 

 knives and hooks on the market. 



Horse-drawn cutters 



160. The first horse-drawn cutters to have a general 

 use were sleds, drawn astride of the corn row, with a 

 heavy knife attached in front at the right height to cut 

 off the corn plants, or drawn between two corn* rows with 

 a heavy knife attached to one or both sides for cutting 



1 Miss. Agr. Exp. Sta., Bui. 33: 63. 1895. 

 Penn. Agr. Sta., Rpt. 1891 : 58-60. 

 Ga. Agr. Exp. Sta., 23 : 81-82. 1893. 

 Ark. Agr. Exp. Sta., Bui. ^4: 120. 



