Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-01-14
The Same Old WAY,

There has really been no improve
ment in methods of husking corn. says
Rurat Homc, in fifty years; perhaps we
might correctly say in one hundred
years. but we limit the time to the
period over which our memory ex-
tends. The average husker can husk
no more bushels to day than he could
half = century ago. Nay, we think he
does not average as many bushels dali
ly, for he does not work, as u rule, as
many hours in day. No device has
been invented by which the stalks of
corn can be handled over, the husks
stripped from the ears. the ears bro
ken oil and tossed into II basket or
pile, with any greater CELEBRITY than in
tho days OF our great grandfathers.
Now. in making this assertion we
do not forget that machines have been
invented that promised To husk Tor
their inventors did) four or five times
AS many bushels in a day as man
could, but these machines were shown
to farmers, were tired IN their corn
fields, and, from the fact that they are
not found there in operation to-day,
were found wanting, we conclude.
once have been. it is now n fact that
any new machine which saves labor
and reduces cost OF production, is not
long excluded from the fields or barns
of the farmer. We think 1t may
be safely assumed that husking-ma-
chimes have not yet proved practical
bic.
When we commenced learning the
art of husking corn the corn was top.
ped, the ears being left on the hills in
stead of being cut up and bound up
with the stalks. We think q man could
husk about one quarter more from the
hill than from the shock, and the corn
was much better DIR ed out, in better
condition for crlbbtng. The husks
pretty generally cleaved from the
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 TO 90 over hill and select
the ears than il does to handle over
the stalks in shock, and there was
no delay in binding up the stalks. A
little time was consumed in moving
the basket, but an experienced husker
would move it SO rs to consume as lit
tie time as possible. But the practice
of topping corn and husking on the hill
has been superseded, and will probably
never be restored.
There are but few operations on
farm where so much depends upon
making every motion quick and max
ing no false motions as husking. Two
men will husk in the same field, in the
same corn, and appear to be equally
| diligentand faithful, but one will put
so per cent more bushels of ears in
| the wagon than the other. How is
this donep The one will make every
motion quickly, and make it tell for
the most in the right recton. In
pulling over the shock, cutting up the
| hill lett standing in the center, plac-
ing the basket, hauling over the stalks,
and determining whether there are
ears on them or not, and in grasp g
the butt of an ear, stripping down the
husks, breaking off the ear and toss.
| ing it into the basket, one will make
every movement in but little more than
half the time required by another. 1t
! is quite easy 10 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, n few days
work would cover our fingers with
! deep cracks. that were very sore, and
then the felicitles OF husking were
! greatly dimin shed. When the air
was humid and the stalks. in conse.
quence, soft, fingers were much less
liable to crack; but when the atmos-
phere was dry and the stalks brittle,
and mittens were resorted to as pro-
lection to the hands. but they retard,
ed the operation of husking.
With all its drawbacks and intellect.
ties there are many PLEASANT associa.
tions in memory's store house in con-
nection with husking days. Golden
autumn days with hazy, dreamy at.
mosphere; weather just cold enough
to stimulate activity; occasionally
dark clouds, with squalls OF ran OF
snow, scurrying over tho landscape,
followed by bright sunshine; mellow,
yellow pippns hanging in the orchard
and. sometimes, jolly evening, ex.
tending into morn ng hours, at neigh
boring paring-bec. Farm-lfe, even II
the olden times. was not entirely with
out its enjoyments and amusement.
for the young. Then. there were Ions
; evenings Tor reading for those so dis
posed. Sometimes the farmer woul,
ask all hands to spend an hour or tw,
in the evening asserting and cribbin.
corn to make room for more 10 come
, aud. sometimes, The good housewife,
! would ask all hands to join in pairing
, some app,es 10 dry, but in most famil
, les these were exceptional occasions.
! Many farmers practice drawing
their corn on the stalks, into the barn