Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-11-25
Shrinkage of Corn in Drying.

Farmers who wish to sell their
corn crop to the best advantage, or
to balance properly the loss in
weight by keeping, against the in
creased price for old corn, are often
puzzled by the diverse opinions
which prevails relative to the
amount lost in drying. There is
sufficient reason for this diversity in
the fact, that there is no very defn-
tie standard to which they can refer,
experiments giving quite different
results. When the season, as the
past one i'll many parts Of the coun-
try, is long, hot, and dry, tavoring
the early ripening of the crop, the
ears have that horny dryncss when
husked, indicating the completion
of the drying process toa great ex-
tent, which renders the grain fit for
grinding and feeding. In moist
seasons, on the contrary, the crop
may be imperfectly maturcd, and
Autumn rains may keep the grains
and cobs soaked with water. 1t is
obvious that in the former instance,
there will be very little of that loss
in weight that will be so conspicu-
Gus in the latter, after it has been
kept fully exposed to air currents
for several months. Every husker
mas observed, even in the same field
and in the same year, great differ
ence In the condition of the corn.
Some of the ears will be well dried
and ma,ured, while others will be
heavy and water-soakcd; and there
will be all grades of condition be-
tween them. Hence, in making ex-
periments to determine the loss in
weight by drying, fair average
alone can be resorted to, and the
experimental must exercise Il con
siderable amount of observation in
determining the general condition
OF the corn.
During the past season we per
formed, by careful weighing and
measuring, series of experiments
to determine some of these disputed
points. The last year being wet
and cold, we allowed the corn to
dry a month or more in the open air,
or until about the first Of the year,
before commencing the experiments,
this time being required to bring
the ears to fair average condition
of moderately dry seasons.
Corn in ears taken from the crib
abou' the first Of January, and kept
in dry apartment until the follow
ing October, lost one-ftth part of it's
bulk. The variety was the large
cight-rowed commonly cultivated
at the North. Taking this to be
fair average, we perceive that the
iarmer who sells his corn by meas
ure, can afford to sell five bushels
of ears late in Autumn or at the be-
ginning of Winter, for the same sum
that he would receive for four bush
els at the close Of the following
Summer, without making any allow
ancc, as he always should. for nine
months interest and the consumption
Of rats. Putting all the waste and
rrohs bii!tics together, and the
trouble Of transfer, it will be safe to
lay it down as n general rule, that a
dollar per bushel for corn in ears at
the beginning OF Aut, mn, is no bet
ter than scventy-iyc cents immedi-
ately after husking
But in measuring corn in the ear.
there will be much variation, ac-
cording to the manner in which it is
done. We have found that a full,
compact, hcaped half bushcI Of mod
crate sized eight-rowed ears, weigh
ed twcnty-four pounds, and con
tanned tifty-six ears in number.
Thrown III loosely, or at random.
and heaped, there was only forty
four ears, and the weight was less
than nineteen pounds. Every farm
err should therefore insist on selling
all his corn by weight, as being
more accurate, ard attended with
better satisfaction to both parties.
Where the standard weight Ct a
hushel of corn is sixty pounds, the
weight Of a bnshsl in the ear will
vary from sixty-cight to sevcuty-tiye
pounds. Ears with small cobs, well
dried, will afford scarcely eight
pounds OF cobs to the bushcI: while
with larger cobs and the corn fresh
" husked, they may amount to
twelve or thirteen pounds.
A wet cob will weigh much more
than dry one, and thus there is a
chance fer much variation. We
have known them to lose fourth
their weight by drying three weeks.
Farmers who sell corn in the ear to
any extent, should therefore shell
bushel first, and weigh grain and
cob separately, which may be done
in a few minutes and they can then
know whether they are giving more