The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-12-04
Good Way to Stack Corn.stalks.

a correspondent OF the Connecticut
Farmer gives the following as his way
Of doing it: "Set straight, stiff pole
of any length you choose firmly in the
ground-l cut mine Twenty-Five feet or
over. If not refy firm, brace it with
three or four braces four feet long,
standing out at the bottom and tackled
to the pole with nails-old pickets make
good ones. Lay stack-bottOm, if YOU
choose, as you would for hay, only it
need not be so close-fence-rai two
feet apart and six inches from the
ground, make a good one; or, if the
ground be dry, build directly from it;
only a layer or two Will be injured.
Commence your stack by setting YOUR
load of stalks SO near that the pitcher
on the load can reach the pole with his
fork, or as near as possible without in
tertering with building the stack. Place
yourself by the side of the pole, with
your right arm towards the pitcher.
Have him pitch the bundles in such a
way that the tops will incline towards
you, not let him drop them, but take
directly from his fork. Have the bun
die butt out, with top between your
feet and the pole, and tapping foot,
iiNiN VI lNoSS " ~ dNNOI'llS W VIC
length of the stalks and as your expert
ence may dictate. Take the next in
the same way, laying the butt alongside
of the other, bring the top between
your feet and the pole, tapping by as
before, and on top of the first, and place
your feet upon it. Continue the stack
in that way Go forward around the
pole spirally from the bottom to the
top, the butts out, lying side by side,
every top tapping little by the pole,
and on top of the last one laid-keep
your feet on that and nOWhere else.
The middle of the stack will soon
begin to rise above the outside, as
it ought to do, sometimes becoming
quite steep-but hold on to the pole
with your left arm, going around it
continually, Selling the tops of the
bundles as they come and swinging
them into pace-your feet will keep
them there. When you get high
enough draw in, tapping more, finally
bending the tops of the bundles around
the pole; finish from ladder by bind
ing the tops of several long and small
ish bundles around the pole, letting the
butts hang on all sides over the top of
the stack. Years ago used to top the
stacks with a cap of straw, but it is not
necessary. The stacks, being compare
lively small and high, will sometimes
lean over; if so, brace them with poles or
rails; after few days settling they
will be all right and the braces can be
taken away. a better way is to have
the stack-yard where the poles can be
set in squares or some regular form,
the tops sawed off even in length and
fastened together by lines of strong
wire. | have had them that way which
gave me no trouble for years, the lean
ing of one stack usually counteracting
another. The essentials of the system
are to so lay the stack that it will stand
up and the bundles not slide out at the
sides A stiff pole and even hui ding
insures the first; the tapping and tread
ing of the top of each bundle on that
of the one before it prevents the last,
as the stack in that way is perfectly
bound together. a good start can not
be made without this binding together.
If the tops of the bundles are put up to
the pole, instead of tapping by it, tread
ing and settling will slide them from it,
letting in the water, but if properly
laid. the more it settles the closer the
tops hug the pole. The same rules
hold good in stacking corn-fodder that
must be followed in putting in hay; it
must be dry; it can be comparatively
green, as the diameter of the stocks is
small and the butts are all out, but
there must be no rain or much dew on
it, or mouldy stalks will be plenty.
Now for the advantages of this method.
When your stacks are properly put up
they are there, good for this year or
next. | often have them stand over.
After the poles are set the stacks can
be put up rapidly. A man can stack it
as fast as he could stow it well in any
other way-as fast as it can be pitched
to him. Part of the stack can be re-
moved at time, only the top layers of
the part left will be damaged. In con-
clusion l will say that have practiced
the system for more than forty years,
and if | can get my Stalks into the
stack in good order, am sure of find
ing them the same when | want them.
| put from one to three loads in
stack"