296 
THE CULTIVATOR 
Sept, 
with the plow; it is manured with about twenty loads 
of compost to the acre every third year, no crop being 
put into the land; indeed the foliage of the trees is so 
dense and luxuriant that no crop other than the apple 
can grow. Among smaller younger trees, corn is sown, 
in drills, for the production of green feed for the cows. 
In a portion of one of the orchards the ground be¬ 
came badly infested with twitch-grass, which could not 
be killed with the plow. Last year the land so encum¬ 
bered was fenced off by itself, several bushels of corn 
sown broadcast to the acre and plowed in, and fifteen or 
twenty hogs turned into the inclosure. They immediate¬ 
ly began to root for the corn, and with the most untiring 
industry turned the soil over and over again. A few 
weeks after, corn was again sown and the land plowed 
and the hogs again rooted it over. Then the operations 
were again repeated; and this year no twitch grass is 
seen. 
I had but an hour or two spend with Mr. Adams. I 
should have been glad to have devoted at least a day to 
an examination of his farming, for I saw enough while 
there to convince me that he is a very enterprising ex¬ 
cellent farmer. I hope to call upon him again, at a 
time when I have more leisure; and if I do, I will give 
a more extended account of his farming. F. Holbrook. 
Brattleboro’, July 5, 1851. 
Harvesting Indian Com. 
Various modes of securing this important crop, have 
been practiced. The most common mode which former¬ 
ly prevailed in the older settled portions of the Northern 
States, was to cut off the stalk a few inches above the 
ear, after the grain had reached a certain stage of ripe¬ 
ness,—usually indicated by the top of the stalk or 
(t tassel,” being dead. This is called u topping.” The 
“ top-stalks” thus cut off, are, when wilted, bound into 
small bundles, and afterwards placed in shocks to cure. 
The corn is left to ripen on the “ but-stalks,” and when 
sufficiently dry is harvested, either by breaking off the 
ear with the husk, or by cutting the stalk close to the 
ground. These modes are most common, though the 
corn is sometimes husked on the standing stalk. In the 
latter case, the stalks are usually cut and stacked or 
housed, after the corn is gathered. Where the ears are, 
with the husks, broken from the stalks, cattle are usual¬ 
ly turned into the “ stalk field” to eat the leaves, or 
whatever they find that is eatable, and the stalks are 
left to be plowed in, or to rot on the ground. 
In the Southern States a similar mode has prevailed, 
with the addition of the “ gathering of the blades.” 
The latter operation consists in stripping the leaves, by 
hand, from the “but-stalks,” after the corn has been 
u topped.” The leaves are bound in bundles, and form 
excellent fodder for horses or cattle. 
In the Western States, the practice of topping stalks 
has never prevailed as extensively as in the eastern and 
northern sections of the country. In the principal cat¬ 
tle districts, the crop is commonly cut and shocked, and 
fed from shock without being husked. In that fertile re¬ 
gion, where corn grows from 12 to 15 feet high, and some¬ 
times higher, it is inconvenient to ciit the top-stalks, as 
the ears are often higher than a man's head. At the same 
time the large size of the stalk and the great bulk of the 
whole plant, render it expedient, in many instances, to 
cut the crop at the height of two or three feet from the 
ground. Even then the shocks are tall, and the ears are 
so far from the ground that the lower part of the shock 
remains open to the admission of the air. The but-stalks, 
which are left on the field, are too coarse and composed 
too much of hard fibre and corky pith, to afford much nu¬ 
triment to animals. After standing exposed to the 
frosts and storms of winter, they are either cut off with 
scythes, or are beaten to the ground by a heavy wood 
implement drawn over them by horses or oxen, which 
leaves them in such a situation that they are readily 
plowed into the soil. 
In some instances, in the west, the crop is left entire, 
to ripen in the field, and the ears when ripe are broken 
from the stalk. In such cases cattle are turned in to 
glean the field, and what they leave returns to the soil. 
Topping corn is probably less practiced in this country 
generally, and especially in the northern portion, than 
formerly. There are several reasons for this. First, a 
conviction of the loss sustained in the value of the fod¬ 
der; second, the loss in the weight and value of the 
grain; third, the liability of the crop being injured while 
in an immature state, by frost. 
All these reasons are important. As to the first, the 
northern varieties of corn produce numerous leaves be¬ 
low the ear. If the stalk is cut to the ground just as it 
is beginning to “ turn,” and is properly cured, the whole 
is nearly equal in quality to the common top-stalks. On 
the other hand, the but-stalks being left in the field till 
the frost has extracted or soured their juices, are much 
depreciated in value. 
It has been proved that cutting off the top-stalk les¬ 
sens the yield of grain. The public is indebted to Wm. 
Clark, Esq., of Northampton, Mass., for several inte¬ 
resting experiments, which have established this fact. 
The result is, indeed, altogether reasonable, and in ac¬ 
cordance with nature’s laws in similar cases. What 
other plant would bear such mutilation without injury? 
Deprive the vine of its leaves, and the grape is imper¬ 
fect. So it is with the apple, pear, plum, &c. 
We have known no experiments made with direct re¬ 
ference to the comparative value or yield of corn when 
left to ripen, untouched, or is cut up at the ground and 
shocked; but it is probable that the superior quality of 
the fodder by the latter mode, would much more than 
counterbalance the advantage, if any, in the value of 
the grain by the former. 
We see no reason why the same rule would not apply 
to Indian corn as to wheat, or other grain. It has been 
settled in regard to wheat, (and also in regard to rye 
and oats,) that the grain itself is worth more in the ag¬ 
gregate by being cut before it is dead ripe—even while 
it is soft and doughy —and while the straw has yet a con¬ 
siderable shade of greenness. Thus, the grain is not on¬ 
ly of more value,—will make more and better flour,— 
but the straw is much better food for stock. It is un¬ 
doubtedly so with Indian corn. It has, in fact, been no¬ 
ticed, that meal from corn that was cured in shock, is 
sweeter, swells more, and makes more bread than other 
meal. 
It is fair, however, to state in regard to this mode of 
harvesting the corn crop, that it is sometimes cured im* 
