The Osceola times., 1885-10-17
CUTTING UP CORN
4 Method which win Save cou.,s.,., !,
Labor.

~
Labor.
With proper implements, which
farm can furnish with but sligb, ENVY
two smart men will cut and stoct -"
acres in day. They can not ton wv "0
than one acre, and the stalks ara ,a VT
bound and carried off from the f;s,d " "
left to be bleached till the corn il h," W
vested, when they have lost half NJ H.
value. A hill is gathered with , r,s" '
in cutting up, in topping, a cut mup, r,Js I.
made upon every stalk. 1t has ba.s ~
demonstrated by careful experimae,a,
hat there is gained from six 10 NV
bushels OF corn per acre by cuttinc 'un un
above what will be obtained by tona;uF
.he corn. The best time for 6sryapIp,;uug
or cutting the corn is when the grain =
glazed. but not yet perfectly hard anS
stalks still partially green. Preylous a ~
his process. and at the time when ~.
ear. but not the grain. were fully formed
Il was formerly the custom to ton ,bs
corn, cutting off the stalks and leava. va.
above the highest ears, but this |, no.
generally abandoned. The leaves a..
necessary for the Celebrations Of ths
'ap which forms the grain, and caref",
experiments prove that when the nlan,
was thus deprived Of its foliaoe ths
grain was lighter and the ear not as we'll I
illed, although it might ripep a littls
earlier. All the nutriment Of plan,.
must be prepared in the leaves. and
that this elaborated sap or prepared
food descends; consequently that when
the leaves above the corn are taken oa
by topping the grain can gain no furlhe,
autriment or accession of growth, and
that when the grain is cut up And
stacked the grain does continue to oh.
tain nutriment and accession Of growth
for some days from the descending q,
elaborated sap with which the succulent
stems are abundantly charged. The
leaves also continue their Celebrating
process for some days after the corn 4
cut. Corn is harvested by cutting close
to the ground with sickle or q hesyv
knife manufactured for this purpose.
Several hills are laid together and bound
with cornstalk or other cheap band.
A shock should be set so that all ths
,talks will stand plumb, then it should
be tied with strong band as soon a
shocked. A simple instrument TO draw
and hold the shock together while tyinp
il made as follows: Take a board an
inch thick and 4 foot or more square,
nail block two inches wide at each
end Of this board then nail another
board six inches wide on these blocks
and bore hole through both boards to
the center; mako spindle Of strong
wood one and one-half to three feet long,
two inches in diameter at the top and
tapering to point. or il you wish YOU
can make the spindle larger at the top.
bore e hole through and put in strong
round like the handle of an augur;
,asten small rope, long enough to reach
around the shock to the spindle near the
handle. Run the spindle through the
boards. and then thrust it horizontal,
through the shock, where you wish to
lie 1t, pass the rope around the shock
and pass the loose end under between
the rope and the spindle. Then turn on
the spindle. You can draw the shock
90 tight that it will raise the outsid,
stalks from the ground. 1t draws from
both sides alike, SO that it does not twis
the shock. II there is but one pcrsor
to use it he can fasten it by making
hole through the board and slipping in
| pin so that the handle cannot turn. III,
with strong twine. A shock set and tieC
in this way will seldom ever twist or fal
unless the string breaks. A conyenien
frame to lay the shock on TO husk can bs
made AS follows: Take two pieces o
light wood, about ten feet long; put
round in three feet from each end
Make the frame two and one-haf o
three feet wide, and high enough so iha
you can stand straight when husking
You can work faster and easier, and tn,
fodder is not soiled and wasted as whel
laid on the ground. Cut and well stock
ed, neither the grain or the forage i
| likely TO be seriously injured by tn
weather even if left in the field late.
topped. the the tops must be exposed t
the decorating influence of the rains
winds and sun, until they are dr.
enough TO bind, which diminishes thei
value. II cut up the whole of the stalk
are converted into forage. II topped
but small part becomes useful. Ant
IL the butts are fed in the cattle yar'
they imbibe additional fertilizing prop
critics from the urine and liquids whicl
abound there, and which are lost il ther
Is no litter to absorb them. Therefore
it gives more to the crops as well as t
the cattle, by saving that which other
wise is often lost to the farm. Cutting
up has this important advantage at leas
In the north; it secures the crop, bot
grian and forage. from the dangers o
early autumnal frost. for after the grail
is cut and stocked, it is not liable to IN
jury from this occurrence. Another ad
vantage is, that the ground may b
| cleared two or three weeks earlier for