Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-03-01
Two ways for Cribeins Corn.


West We do not have our work AZ thor
oughly done as the farmers Of New Eng
land. One Of them, once visiting Gle
nellen Farm, at the time Of corn gather
ing, was freely Intercepted by Us US to
his method OF cribbing corn. II was
about this: He was large corn raiser
had great faith In corn; needed corn
meal for his cows; made the butter
richer and solid; had ten acres in corn /:
always cut It up; saved the fodder !;
husked the corn; threw 1t on the
ground: picked II up in baskets; emp
tied il into the cart. When il was haul.
ed to the crib il Was carefully assorted
by hand and carried by the basket
ful into the corncrib. Such thing as q
scoop-shoyel he had not.
We had heard so often about the fine
work on New England farms, We were
a little shy about showing him how we
did in Ohio. After hearing his methods
freely given in the evening, We took
courage, and simply and reverently re-
Piled, that our method OF handling corn
was quite different from his
The next morning, alter breakfast, We
invited him To 20 into the cornilelds
first lie seemed dazed ut the size OF
the fields, the height OF the stalks, and
wondered how We could ever reach the
ears lilo watched the operation OF
husking from stalks. and throwing d.
recty into the wagon. He thought
that saved handling the corn so often as
his method required, buthe thought the
horses broke down the corn. We show
ed him that was all picked up clean by
the down-row boy; yet he shook his
head. We brought him around to the
crib at the time the men were unload
Ing. We mounted the wagon 10 select
the choice ears for seed. aud threw them
overhead to dry, and picked out the
silks and soft or rotten corn as it APP
peaIed. In u few minutes the thirty
i've bushels OF corn were in the rat
proof crib. and our visitor remarked,
well, that was quickly done" He
asked how many bushels the two men
aRd down-row boy could crib in day.
We replied that they had some days
put in one hundred and fifty bushels,
hat we considered one hundred and
twenty bushels satisfactory days
work.
lie was inclined to doubt the ability
Of the boy to do that. So one Of them
asked him Us come down to the crib,
and lac would see more than one hun
dred and twenty go in that day.
After satisfying his mind that there
was no exaggeration about II, he asked
how much We paid our men. When lac
heard the price, he figured awhile and
said, "Why, that costs you about two
cents a bushel, not including the use OF
the horses and wagon" Now, said we,
how much does your method cost you
per bushelP lie said, "Not less than
five cents a bushel, but 1t is better
done" We laughed, and told our friend
he meant that more work had
been put upon it, His frequent hand
ling shelled of more corn, and the
throwing on the ground got more dirt
on il, and trash In the crib. We insist
ell that our method was not only more
economical, but was more clearly and
expeditions. He said that way would
not suit them in New England. mo,
said we, ''your work would be done too
soon, and YOU would be- out OF business.
The difference between the two meth
Ods Of cribbing corn shows the method
requiring the most time and labor IL not
necessarily the most thorough.
The next day We took him to the field
where the men were husking fodder
corn. They had theit trestles, on which
they laid the shock Of corn, and stood
zap straight, in easy position, husking,
and throwing the ears directly into the
wagon. As fast az enough for bundle
of fodder hal been husked, twas bound
tightly and set up again; and, when the
shock was all husked, it was tied snugly
near the top, and the men passed to the
next shock.
Our friend asked ii We liked that bet
ter than throwing il on the ground, and
aiterward gathering 1t. OF course we
like it, because 1t in less labor, and the
corn is cleaner, and we finish up our
own work as We ~. We said To him
that some Of onr neighbors hired their
corn husked by the shock, and, after all
was done, would go along with the wag-
ON aud pick up the corn ear by ear; and,
II the ground had frozen and thawed, as
is often the case each ear that touched
the ground brought with 1t u cake OF
mud.
Then, too, the man husking by the
shock il not apt To husk all the ears,
nor to tie aud set up the fodder 50 well.
We have found, after trial Of husking
10y the bushcl or by the shock, that We
can dothe work more satisfactorily, and
at less expense, by hiring two good men
and down.row boy. That makes a
good team, aud pleasant one to
work. CmciHndh C0mBIcrcidL