News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-23
FARM AND GARDEN.
How TO Take Care of the Valuable Corn
Fodder.

Corn for fodder is best cut early
says the american AgricutturjSt. If fod
der were the first consideration, the pro
per time to cut the corn would be be
fore the ears were fully matured. Blu
as the ears are the most valuable, Gu
the fodder Immediately after they have
matured. Do not wait to gather the
ears; they can be husked out on tine
barn floor during the cold days of win
ter Certainly the fodder should bt
cut before any part of it Is lost; and the
most valuable part, the blades, is the
first to be lost. In the West, shock are
commonly made too large-sixteen hill:
square. From eight to twelve hill:
square is better The area cut over tc
form a shock should be just so large
that the cutter can begin at the shock,
cut to the outside and back again,
holding all he has cut conveniently in
his arm; or else cut from one shock tC
ano her, carrying one row of corn along
with him. In the latter case, a row Of
shocks is begun across the field, and the
workman cuts back and forth along the
low This is the fastest way. The
best standard is made by bending four
hills toge her-two diagonal hills being
lapped and twisted together. But to
such standard it can be objected, that
a knife must be carried along to cut the
stalks loose when the fodder is brought
in from the fed, aud that these alks
can not be stood straight in the rick.
Some prefer movable wooden stand
ard A light pole, twelve or fifteen feet
= II
supports; holes are bored through the
pole about five feet from one end and
Though the ends of the uprights, and
bolt passed through the holes and Sc
cured by q nut. The holes should he
so large that the up lights can be spread
a foot apart at the bottom. Midway
between the uprights and the end of
the pole, another hole is bored, through
which a cross bar is put. In the four
angles formed by the intersection of
the pole and cross bar, the fodder is
set. u hen the shock reaches out to the
supports, the cross bar is pulled out,
and the pole can be removed Some
prefer to have the supports and cross
bar near together. about four feet from
the pole. he shock IS built around
the supports. When done, the cross
bar is pulled out, and as the pole is re-
moved. the supports are brought close
together and do not hinder.
h n properly managed, nothing
makes a better tie for shock than
stalks. They are much less troublesome
than straw or hay, and give shock all
necessary stability. Stalks altogether
dry or altogether green are not to be Sc
Iected, they ~iH break when it is at
tempted to twist them Long, slender
stalks are desirable. The first stalk is
brok en- at the right angle about two
feet from the but; the but is then
forced into the shock as far as the
break, when the remainder of the stalk
is passed around the shock, breaking it
carefully every eight or ten inches, I'M
til the tassel point is almost reached.
8 hen another stalk is inserted in the
shock. The top of the first stalk is
broken every three inches between the
thumb and fingers, and twis ed around
the second stalk, which is then
broken and passed around the shock as
In the case of the first one This is
continued until the last stalk reaches
the first one, when it is secured by
twisting it, Is in the case of the others,
or by drawing it down between the
shock and the first stalk, just In front
OF the break, forming a loop below
through which a piece of stalk, two
fee. long, is passed and driven into the
shock.