SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
213^' 
lace, Muscadine and Scuppernong to be one and the same. 
The description of the Bullace is as perfect of what we 
have always called a Muscadine, as language could make 
anything. We will venture the assertion that we are 
sustained by nine out of ten; but this does not make us 
right, it only proves the importance of n proper classifi- 
cation and description of the many varieties, and of calling 
tilings by their ngbt names. 
We have 15 or ‘20 varieties of the Grape, and have 
heard gentlemen professing to know what they were talk 
ing about, give diametrically opposite opinions. We 
know precious little of botany, and by consulting author- 
ties have become more puzzled than ever to find out the 
truth. We have a grape (our favorite by the way) which 
we have heard called, by one gentleman, Herbemont Ma- 
deira and by another pronounced positively, Lenoir — 
which he called Lenoir Herbemont — “ Qiden Sabe ?’' 
Another friend brought us the “best grape in the world” 
under the name ofPickenpack — we find it to be what we 
call Herbemont. Another brought us an Isabella, which 
ripens a month later than the grape we have known as 
Isabella for twenty years, and is a much more .•iiusky 
grape. 
Our Bland is well described by “A. G.,” only that we 
consider it one of the best of table grapes. W e have a na- 
tive grape, black berry, densely packed on the bunches ; 
rather thick skinned ; musky ; very sweet ; ripens in Sep- 
tember or October, and bears abundantly. Leaves dented, 
somelobed; young sprouts rough ; joints long; underside 
of leaves red tinge of all wild grapes. 
It would add much to the interest as well as usefulness 
of articles having any technicality about them to attach a 
sort of explanatory note to them. A great 'many of your 
readers know not the meaning of such words as glabrous, 
dentate, lobed, &;c. It would be very little trouble, and 
save a deal of confusion. But I am running off too long a 
yarn. Broo.msedgp. 
Big Branch, May, 1856. 
EXPERIMENT IN FODDER PULLING. 
Editors Southern’ Cultivator— Having been for a 
long time impressed with the idea that stripping the blades 
from the corn stalks for fodder was an unprofitable busi- 
ness, I made several experiments with the view of testing 
the correctness of my theory. 
In the year 1848, I selected six rows of corn of equal 
length, and planted and cultivated in every respect alike, 
as near as possible. From three of the rows, I had the 
blades all stripped off at the the usual fodder-pulling sea- 
son, and upon the remaining three, they were all left. 
When the corn was thoroughly dried upon those stalks 
from which the fodder was stripped, I had it <7^/! gathered. 
Upon counting the number of ears in each lot I found that 
the parcel which was gathered from the stalks with the 
fodder stripped off, out numbered (nubbins and all) the 
other, about thirty ; but upon weighing the two, notwith- 
standing the other lot counted the most, the corn taken 
from the stalks upon which the blades were Icfc, weighed 
23 or 30 lbs. the most when weighed upon the cob. It was 
then shelled, and the parcel with the blades left on still out 
weighed the other by 28 lbs. 1 then measured and weigh- 
ed it, with a view ofascertaining how much each lot would 
weigh to the bushel, and found the corn taken from the 
■Stalks with the blades stripped off to weigh .52 pounds to 
the bushel, and that taken from the stalks with the blades 
left on weighed 71 1-4 lbs. to the bushel. Seeing this great 
difference (18 1-4 Ihs.) it occurred to me at first that per- 
haps the blades had been stripped too soon, from the one 
lot, but when I reflected upon the weight (52 lbs.) Ifound 
it to be about the average weight of that variety (c-ourd 
seed) of corn when the fodder is pulled off, as is custom- 
ary in this part of the country, and, therefore, that could 
not make the difference. 
Again, the idea occurred to me that perhaps the corn, 
taken from the stalks upon winch all the fodder ,was left 
was gathered too soon; but this view only afforded an ar- 
gument in favor of leaving the fodder on the stalks, for if 
the corn from which the fodder was stripped, was dry 
enough to be housed, and that upon which the blades 
were left was not, but continued green and full of sap, (as 
it did) the corn was still undergoing the process of matur- 
ing, which I believe to be the case; consequently we are 
forced to the conviction that so long as the corn blade 
retains any sap in it the corn is injured by stripping it 
from the stalk. With the intention, however, of testing 
thoroughly this matter, I placed both parcels away care- 
fully in barrels, expecting to weigh them again in the fol- 
lowing spiing, at which time they would undoubtedly be- 
come thoroughly dried, but, unfortunately for this part of 
the experiment, the rats and mice got in among it, and so 
damaged y that nothing satisfactory could be done with it. 
The next experiment of which 1 have kept any record, 
was made in 1852, at which time I selected five rowSj 
equal in every respect, so far as cultivation, soil, &c., is 
concerned. From one row 1 stripped the blades from the 
whole of the stalk ; from another 1 had the blades removed 
from the top down to the ear; from a third the blades 
were taken from the ear down to the roots ; from a fourth 
the blades were taken from one side alone of the stalk, 
and from the top to the root, and upon the last the whole 
of the fodder was allowed to remain. The result was as 
follows: 
After gathering and leaving all of the different parcels 
in the house for. about two months to dry, it was weighed, 
file parcel gathered from the stalk from which the whole 
of the blades were removed weighed 90 pounds ; that from 
which the foddder was gathered from the ear to the ground 
weighed 89 pounds; blades taken from one side only, 95 
pounds ; taken from the top to ear, 97 pounds, and where 
all the blades were left on, it weighed 98. This is the 
record which I find upon my memorandum book. As will 
be perceived, there seems to be a discrepancy in reference 
to that taken from below the ear and that taken off alto- 
gether. This may be an error in making the record or in 
labeling the parcels when gathered, but whatever be the 
cause, I give the statement exactly as 1 find it recorded. 
Now, you will notice that there is a difference of 3 lbs. 
in favor of that parcel upon which the blades were all left, 
over that from which the blades were all removed ; this 
difference is equivalent to about six pounds per bushel of 
66 lbs. If, therefore, corn is selling at 66 cents per bushel, 
or one cent per pound, (which I believe has been about 
an average price in this region for several years past,) 
there will be a difference of S6 in every hundred bushels 
in favor of leaving all the fodder on the stalk. 
Now, if the stalks thatyield 100 bushels of corn will 
also yield 800 lbs. of fodder, and it shall sell for 75 cents 
per hundred, equal to S‘6 for the 800 lbs., the one counter- 
balances the other in market value, and the planter has, 
besides all the trouble and expense of gathering his fodder 
for no compensation at all; and this 1 believe to be really 
the case. Tiie contrariety of opinion which exists in re- 
ference to this matter, I think, adniits of an easy explana- 
tion and is owing to the time at which the blades are strip- 
ped from the stalk. If they are allowed to remain on un- 
til the stripping them off does the corn no damage, they 
are not fit for food, so far as the purposes of nutrition are 
concerned, and if they are stripped off early enough to 
make good food for stock, the corn must undoubtedly be 
injured by it. 
The only advantage that I know of gathering fodder 
in the usual way from the corn stalk is derived alone to 
the Planter who cultivates bottom land that is subject to 
