The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-10-17
1An CORN FODDER CROP.
Cutting. Curing and Storing 30 as 20 Secure
Its Greatest Feeding Value.


Its Greatest Feeding Value.
In locality with much rainfall in
winter, OF in which the snow falls deep
ly, it is unquestionably the best way to
store corn fodder in the silo When thus
cured, the fodder should be cut when
the corn is in the glazed, or roasting,
stage But for the encouragement of all
who live in localities where corn cannot
reach the stage indicated because Of the
Bhortness of the season it may be men
toned that even in these localities good
ensilage may be secured. But care must
be taken after the corn has been cut to
wilt il before putting IL into the silO,
and the more immature the corn the
more whiting does it require. And when
immature corn is thus put into the silo
much care must be exercised to have it
most thoroughly tramped,
Corn for the silo may be cut by hand
with the hook or by using a sled with
adjustable knives attached to it, and on
which two men stand and catch 1t as it
falls and lay it in punches or sheaves
| The sled is drawn by one horse and cuts
two rows at a time By its use from
four to six acres will be cut in day.
BY the latest mode Of cutting a reaper is
used with an elevator attached to it. A
wagon is driven alongside and the corn
is deposited in the box, or rack, Of the
wagon. But this way of harvesting the
corn is yet to bs perfected, although
even now it can be thus harvested.
But in localities with little rain or
snow fall in winter, and in which the
low temperatures keep the ground in a
frozen condition, there is not the same
necessity for curing corn in the silo,
says Minnesota correspondent of The
Prairie Farmer. 1t may be preserved in
fine form in the fields where it grew.
This can be effected by simply putting
it up in shocks and tying each with a
string or band around the top. The size
Of the shocks will depend upon the ripe
ness of the Corn they being larger as
tho corn is more matured. The shocks
may then be drawn as wanted Any
kind of low sled may be used in draw
ing them that will convey several Of
them at n time.
But on prairies, where the winds are
much prone to throw the shocks down,
It may be we'll to stack them in a con
venient place for feeding on the ap-
proach of winter. Such a stack may rest
upon poles, or, what is usually more CON
venient, a layer Of straw. The stack is
made oblong in character. 1t consists Of
two lengths Of corn from side to side,
the butts outward and the tops tapping
sufficiently in the middle to make the
center somewhat elevated A little
marsh hay along the ridge of the stack
and weighted will shed the rain. Corn
fodder thus cured may be cut by hand
by the use of sled, or with binder Of
O certain make The latter is likely soon
to be the method most commonly adopt
ed where the work is to be done on a
large scale. For fodder uses the corn
should be allowed to get almost if not
quite ripe, but in no instance overripe,
for then it loses in palatability and also
in feeding value. The great mistake in
handling corn fodder in the dry regions
Of the west consists in allowing it to get
too ripe before it is cut.
The methods Of thrashing corn fodder
and Of shredding it are growing in favor,
but both Of these are as yet in the tenta-
tive stage. By the first method the corn
is run through thrashing machine
without being husled. The grain is thus
separated from the straw. The latter
goes into a large loft or receptacle for it
and is then fed as wanted. By the Sec
ond method the corn is husked, the Cobs
going down in one place, and the straw,
which is torn into strips, goes into re-
ceptacle as in the first instance, Both
methods of handling corn are almost
certain to grow in favor for a time But
in the judgment of the writer they will
not be so popular years hence as they
promise to be now There is one weak
ness about the system. The fodder must
become oyerdry before it will keep
when thus stored away in large Quanti-
ties, The aim should be to handle corn
fodder so that husking by hand may not
be required. Where facilities are ut hand
for running the unhusked corn through
q cutting box as wanted and mixing 1t
with some other variety Of cut fodder,
the greatest feeding value will probably
be got from the corn.