The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-12-04

pieces of stale bread will be eaten by
tho COW. They will furnish change
of food and by the means of increas.
ing tho yield of Chicago Times.
The sumo Old Way.
There has really been no improve
ment in methods of husking corn, says
RurM Home, in fifty years; perhaps we
might correctly say in one hundred
years, but VIC limit the time to tho
period over which our memory OK
tends. Tho average husker can llusk
no moro bushels to day than he could
half century ago. May, we think he
does not average as many bushels dali
ly. for he does not work, US rule, as
many hours in q day. No device has
been invented by which tho stalks of
corn can be handled over. tho husks
stripped from the cars. the ears bro.
ken oil AMI tossed into II basket or a
pile, with any greater celebrity than in
the days Of our great grandfathcrs.
Now. in making this assertion we
do not forget that machines have been
invented that promised to husk (or
their inventors did) four or five times
as many bushels in q day us man
could, but these machines were shown
to farmers, were tried III their corn
fields, and, from the fact that they are
not found there in operation to-day,
were found wanting, we conclude.
However conservative farmers may
once have been. it is now fact that
any new machine which saves labor
and reduces cost of production, is not
long excluded from tho fields or barns
Of the farmer. We think ii may
be safely assumed that husking-ma-
chimes have not yet proved practical
bic.
When we commenced learning tho
art of huskiny corn the corn was top.
ped, tho ears being left OH the hills in.
stead of being cut up and bound up
with the stalks. We think man could
husk about one quarter more from the
hill than from the shock, and the corn
was much better dried out. in better
condition for cribbng. The husks
pretty generally clcaved from tho
ears, SO that little more remained to
be done than to break of the ear and
toss 1t in the basket. 1t required much
less time 10 go over hill and select
the ears than il does to handle over
the stalks in Il shock, and there was
no delay in binding up tho stalks. A
little time was consumed in moving
tho basket, but an experienced husker
would move it SO us TO consume us lit
tic time as possible. But the practice
of topping corn and husking on the hill
has been Superseded, and will probably
never be restored.
There arc but few operations on a
farm where SO much depends upon
making every motion quick and max
ing no false motions rs llusking. Two
men will husk in the same field, in the
same corn. and appear to DO equally
diligcntand faithful, but one will put
50 per cent more bushels of ears in
the wagon than the Other. How is
this donc? The one will mako every
motion quickly, and make it tell for
the most in the right direction. In
pulling over the shock, cutting up tho
hill left standing in tho center, plac-
ing the basket, hauling over the stalks,
and determining whether there are
ears on them or not. and in grasping
the butt of an car, stripping down the
husks, breaking off tho ear and toss.
ing it into the basket, one will make
SSCAy hOtSlACul ia Uuu llIIlO IIlslu
half the time required by another. 1t
is quito easy to lose little time in
every one Of these operations without
being really conscious of it.
We always took pleasure in husking
corn SO long rs our hands remained
sound, but. generally, Il fcw days
work would cover our fingers with
deep cracks, that were very sore, and
then the fclicit!cs of husking were
greatly diminished. When the air
was humid and the stalks. in conse-
qucnce, soft, fingers were much less
liable to crack; but when the atmos-
phcre was dry and the stalks brittle,
cracks very soon appeared. Gloves
and mittens were resorted to as Il pro-
lection to the hands. but they retard-
cd the operation of husking.
With all its drawbacks and intellect
tics there arc many pleasant associa-
tiOns in memOry's stOrc-house in con-
nectiOn with ll,sking days. Golden
autumn days with hazy, dreamy at
mosphere: weather just cold enough
to stimulate activity: occasionally
dark clouds. will, squalls OF rain or
snow. scurrying over the landscape,
followed by bright sunshine; mellow,
yellow pippins hanging in the orchard,
and. sometimes, Il Jolly evening, on
tending into morning hours. at a neigh
boring paring-bcc. Farnl-life, even IN
the olden times, was not entirely with
out its cnjoymcn,s and amusement Is
for tho young. Then, thcro were long
evenings for reading for those so dis
posed. Sometimes tho farmer would
ask all hands to spend an hour or two
in the evening asserting and cribbng
corn to make room for more TO como,
and, sometimes, The good housewife
would ask all hands to Join in pairing
some apples to dry, but in most famil-
les these were exceptional occasions.
Many farmers practice drawing
| their cOrn nm tho otu1ks ;nto tho In .,s