Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1869-11-26
Corn ssNsking.

No farm crop is SO liable to be
neglected as that of corn. 1t is usual
ly put into the shock in good season,
but the work Of husking and cribbing
is neglected to be done at any time,
and almost invariably where this neg
lect is made, loss attends.
Corn now in the shock is fully
cured, and in good condition for stor-
age. During the Indian Summer is
good time for huski.,g, and the work
should be pressed forward until all
the grain is cribbed and the stalks
properly bound and stacked or shock
ed. Avoid husking on very dry days,
az the stalks will break up badly and
the best o! the fodder be lost, besides
all farmers dread to handle corn stalks
when they are dry as cinders, and
they dislike as much to handle them
when they are wet and the ground
eoft and miry. Days will be found
during Fall when everybody is i'll
just the right condition, and upon
these days all the forces that can be
easily obtained should be applied.
Where corn is allowed TO stand i'll
the shock until Winter, the fodder as
well as the grain will be more or less
injured by wet, as many OF the shocks
will become twisted, CT PROSTATE, SO
that water does not find free course
through, and mold takes place. Be-
sides this, it will be noticed that where
shocks have been for long time eX-
posed to the weather, the outsides
are blackened, and almost worthless.
Now when husking has been done
and the fodder re-shocked, that which
is bright is exposed and injured also,
80 that when fed out nearly one half
Of the stalks are almost worthless
1t is slow process to haul corn
into the barn, and do the husking
there, as the stalks get broken and
interviewer so that twice the handling
is required that there would otherwise
be, but this mode is preferable TO let
ting the corn remain in the field until
mid winter. Twisted hay bands Or
those made Of straw, are preferable
10 Irvine, bark or wire, as they are
less expensive, bud tirmer, and go
into the manager rs feed for stock.
Ii seed corn was not selected before
the corn was put into the shocks, it
will be the next best way to lay aside
the best ears when husking, leaving
a.few husks upon them so that they
may be hung up III chamber or
some suitable place 1t is not in ac-
cordance with the rules Of good farm
ing to select seed corn from the crib
at planting time.
We have always found corn fod
der to keep as well when pnt up in
large shocks as in any other form
outside the barn. 1t is best to put
them under cover, of course, when it
can be done conveniently, provided
the stalks are well cured at the butts,
and dry when packed away. Where
the stalks are stacked well, they keep
good, but when feeding is begun, re-
moving the top exposes the fodder
to all the storms, and unless fed out
very rapidly, it will become so mois
tened by heavy rains and melting
SHOWS as to be greatly damaged by
souring and molding. Where shr ok
ing is done bind the tops firmly in at
least two places, then the water runs
down the. outside and the stalks soon
dry off.
1t is al much better plan TO set a
wagon in the field when husking, and
when filed going to the crib with
it, than to throw the corn upon the
ground to be gathered up after
wards, for two reasons: First, one
half of the handling is saved, and
second, the corn is not exposed to
damage by being left ont in the field
through a storm, which is very com
monty done by characterization when
not drawn and cribbed as fast as husk-
ed.-Obio Farmer.