368 CEREALS. 



of time. Nor is the corn in the least injured if cut when the 

 grain is soft. There is always enough sap in the stalk 

 to bring the corn to a healthy maturity. The stalks and 

 fodder supply the best provender for cattle during winter, 

 and they can be kept in our climate on this, without other 

 food. 



It is a bad plan for a farmer to lose the results of any 

 part of his labor, and by close, rigid economy alone can he 

 succeed. 



Should the farmer determine to cut, the time is just as 

 the shuck begins to dry, and yet before the fodder is dead. 

 By taking advantage of this precise time he will save every- 

 thing, and the corn /will extract juice enough from the 

 stalk to fill out every grain, even if it is not yet full. The 

 usual plan is, to cut so as to leave four hills in every tenth 

 row standing, and by bending these together at the top and 

 tying them into an arch, the shock has a foundation to rest 

 against. Many plans are adopted in tying which will 

 suggest themselves to the practical farmer. The stalks 

 should have slope enough to the centre to prevent the 

 shocks from blowing down. When the work of the year 

 is over, the corn is gathered, leaving the shuck on or not. 

 The stalks can then be shocked again. They are now ready 

 for cattle, that may be fed on them in that or any other 

 place, by either cutting them in stalk cutter or throwing 

 them in racks, made temporarily on some poor spot to 

 catch the manure. If cut up and fed at the barn', there will 

 be such a manure heap as will gladden the heart of every 

 good farmer. 



It is often difficult to decide whether a sale at the time of 

 gathering is better than later, the small price early being, 

 in the estimation of some, counter-balanced by the shrink- 

 age. We are able to lay before the reader two well 

 authenticated experiments on this subject that may be a 

 guide to any one debating it. One was made by 

 Prof. Daniells, of Wisconsin ; and the other bv Mr. Shel- 



