The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-10-22
Saving Fodder and Husking Corn.

In the East so much value is placed
upon the stalks Of corn that the greatest
care is taken in cutting and shocking so
that the leaves and husks may be saved
in the best possible condition In the
South, where hay is always scarce, the
leaves are stripped from the stalks, tied
in bundles, cured and housed. In this
condition they are priced and correctly
so, 40 being fully equal to the best hay
In all the Northern States, where the
corn is likely to be injured by frost, no
time is lost after the first light frost in
Immediately cutting and shocking the
corn; and the ripening process goes
along nearly as well if the corn has
passed the milky state as though it were
standing on its own roots.
Throughout the great corn-Zone of the
West it is not unusual when other rough
fodder is plenty to cut the corn. 1t is
either taken from the stalk with the husk
adhering to be fed to stock thus, or
husked directly from the hill and imme-
diately cribbed. When forage is scarce
the case is different. Then the stalks
arc shocked and saved to feed in the
winter in place Of hay, and, if carefully
done, the value of an acre Of corn-fodder
is about equal to an average acre of
grass. For mich cows and fattening
cattle there is no doubt that, acre for
acre, it is fully as valuable as ordinary
hay
The present season has been deficient
in hay, and the Western Rurdl urged in
time that every possible means should
be used to supplement this scarcity with
other forage, one of these means being
the saving Of as much corn fodder as pos
sible. If not already done no time should
be lost in doing it. 1t will pay to offer
extra inducements to hands during the
cutting season to use every exertion not
only to put together as much as possible,
bat also TO shock it most carefully and
thoroughly. The most easy and secure
method we have ever found is to bend
and tie four hills together at regular in
tervals, around which to set the shock
to make the shocks as large as possible,
setting the stalks straight and firm, and
tie securely and firmly as near the top as
it is possible to do and secure all the
fodder. Thus made, while there is no
danger of the corn being blown down,
the most thorough ventilation is secured
There will be minimum of danger of
the fodder being injured by the weather
The brace hills are easily cut when the
shocks are moved, and if low wheeled
wagons are employed for hauling to the
foddering yard the shocks are easily
loaded by two men with proper carry
ing stick.
This stick is made from a two-inch
hardwood plank, six feet long, six inches
wide at one end and tapering to point
at the other. The shock having been
loosened. the lever is thrust through at
proper height, turned flatwise, the shock
dragged to the wagon and lifted up, the
man on the wagon Selling the top, while,
the stick being withdrawn, the men on
the ground push the shock to its place
Until the load gets high, no difficulty
will be experienced in lifting directly to
the place, the tops overlapping each
other and the butts outward.
If the corn is to be cribbed and the
forage fed to stock cattle and mich cows,
it is better, if possible. to husk it in the
field and pile the fodder securely until
wanted, for the expense of handling
such heavy fodder IS considerable When
handled, it should be stacked SO con-
to the feeding place that it |
may be easily dragged thence by hand |
or thrown on wagon and distributed |
while the team moves slowly over the |
yard -s
The principal objection to shocking
corn in the West is the added expense in
husking. A hand will husk fully twice
the number of bushels of corn from the |
hill that he will from the shock. This, |
first and last, has given rise to much con-
troversy as to the amount OF bushels a
hand could husk in day. We have seen
100 bushels Of corn mot earS husked
from the hill between sun and sun in Oc- |
tobcr We have never seen more than
forty bushels husked from the shock in
the same time. So, in figuring the
amount Of corn to be shocked for fod- |
der, It would be perfectly safe to gather |
no more than will be wanted for use, un-
less the corn must be cut to save it from
the frost for doubling the expense Of
husking adds very materially to the cost
ft