Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-10-25
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FlELRa'Np GARDEN
CUTTING CORN FODDER.
when 1t Pays to Cut Fine Different Stylcs
OF Cutters ana Splitters.

when 1t Pays to Cut Fine Different styles
of Cutters ana Splitters.
Here are some practical points from o
correspondent who has practiced cutting /
corn fodder for number of years and 7
finds that it pays for horses and sheep. /
He writes to Ohio Farmer that he finds |
four kinds of cutters OH the market. |
One has knives attached to a revolving |
cylinder another has knives i'll large |
wheel running at right angles with /
throat Of machines the third, the hand |
cutter; the fourth has series of knives
attached to shaft i'll such way as to
cut and split. making fine cut of butts
as well as tops. The product of the diff
ferent kinds Of machines only differs in
length of cut and the last beng a split
ter He writes:
III cutting corn fodder the quantity one
has to he consumed per head must govern
the deere If Gncncss into which the fod
der is cut If enc has a largo amount Of
fodder to feed, and the amount # stock is
small, it VIII be poor policy to run the
coarse, woody butts through the digest
i've organs Of any animal. Hence the
fodder must he cut in such a manner us
to enable the animal to cat that which
is desirable and reject the other por.
tions.
The coarscr fodder is cut the nearer
this desirable point will be reached. If
one has only a limited amount of fodder
with large amount of stock, where
much grain is fed to fattenng animals,
the finer fodder is cut the more value
will he obtained from it. Experience
has taught the observing feeder that
certain amount of coarse, bulky food of
some kind must be fed i'll connection
with grain ratiOns to secure the highest
degree of digestion as well as preserving
the health of the animal.
The next thing to be considered i'll
buying a cutter is the available power
one has for reducing ones fodder to the
desirable consistency Note this one
point, that the shorter the cut the high.
or the speed must be to accomplish
certain amount of work in aSiven time
hence the greater must be the power.
Cutting and splitting machines that ruD
at rate Of 900 revolutions per min
ute cannot be successfully run by hand
or horse power. Another objection comics
with the fine cutting-that is, the dan
ger of heating. Only small quantities
an be cut at a time, as heating is sure ia
/ spoil large quantities i'll case of warm
weather and damp fodder
Cutters that have knives attached to
revolving shaft or cylinder are also
Objectionable, as the rapid revolving Of
the shaft or cylinder does not give sui1i
cient time for length of cut | have in
use a Swiss cutter with two knives IS
inches long i'll wheel A inches in di.
ameter. running at right angles witt
the throat knives, adjustable by means
of set screws to throat plate, thus al
ways insurng perfect shear cut. With
this machine a length of about 21a
inches can be cut This length partly
overcomes the objection of length equal
to or shorter than diameter of stalks,
which causes sore mouth by standing
on end in the animals mouth, making
short length highly Objectionable.
Even with this length, ~ inches,
have never found it profitable to cut
fodder for cattle, as they do not relish
it as well as in its natural state, espe
cially SO i'll warm weather. | would
only recommend cutting for horses anC
sheep, and this in lengths of three inch
es if machine could be obtained to GU
that length. The existing feature i'll al
machines of two cutting knives for eacl
revolution makes it impossible for The
feed to advance to that length. The
, hand cutter would be the only machin,
l that would give these desired results.
} have seen those with high speed cutter
and splitters have the cutting fever, ant
have seen the chills follow.