The Portland daily press., 1895-10-11
HusklNe AND cRIBBINe CORN.
Husk Soon as Ready For the Crib-Utiliz-
ing Soft Corn-seed Corn.

Husk Soon as Ready For the Crib-Utiliz
ING Soft Corn-Seed Corn.
The idea prevails that husking corn is
lob that can be put off and done at
any time, but much loss is sustained
from mice. whitening winds and rain.
Then. too. leaving corn in the fields un-
busked until freezing weather is the &C.
casion of serious loss in way Of soft
corn the value of which is greatly i'm
haired when it is once frozen hard. For
these and similar reasons husking should
begin as soon after cutting as the corn
is in condition for it. A correspondent
of the Ohio Farmer, who advocates husk-
fRg as soon as practicable, says:
The sorting should be done at once.
know of no better time for this work
than inst as the ears are husked. Have
basket near your elbow. If you throw
with your right hand, husk on the side
of the pile that brings this hand nearest
to the basket Husk clean. Nubbins had
better be taken out unless the fodder is
fed out at once. If left in, mice and rats
will harbor in the shocks, and cattle
will not relish such fodder. Throw all
sound (crib corn) i'll the basket. By
husking clean, mean taking off all silk
and husks. 1t will take no longer to do
it well than to half do it. The small
and soft corn can be thrown on the
ground. We usually carry some sacks
and pick up every half day. or it can be
left in the field until enough is husked
to make a load, then pick up. This can
be done in the afternoon when fodder is
too dry to handle
To get this soft and small corn early
is one of the advantages of early husk-
ing. As large amount of this cannot
very well be kept together, it can be fed
out to good advantage as husking pro-
ceeds. If one has hogs enough to keep
up with husking, they make the best
crib for this corn. If one has large
amount of corn and not many hogs, SO
the small and soft corn pile gets ahead
of the consuming capacity, don't stop
husking. Winter is coming. A cheap
crib can be put up. In feeding this
small corn it should be sorted, the soft
est and those ears that are part moldy,
fed to cattle and brood sows. Soft corn
is one of the best foods for producing
milk I have found yet Soft corn is also
one Of the best things to start spring
calves eating grain.
AS each ear comes directly under cur
observation in husking its proper place
can at once be decided upon without
any extra time or labor, and here is a
good opportunity for selecting seed
corn. Select when husking ears of me-
dunn size, of uniform thickness, straight
rows, we'll filled at the ends, and those
that grow quite near the stalk, and ker-
nels that are tight together, and you
have the best yield the field affords.
On ears intended for seed leave some
husks. The ears can be put in dry place,
tied by the husks in twos and hung up
away from rats and mice and will not
need looking after until planting time.
The crib should be SO constructed as
to admit wagon to drive alongside,
with an opening at the top to scoop in.
Mine is made of common fencing and is
80 feet long, feet wide at bottom, So
at top, feet high, with roof sloping
one way. This makes it convenient for
unloading. The boards run lengthwise.
In this way shoveling need not be done
60 high, as the boards can easily be TAX
en- off and replaced as the crib is filled.
1t holds about loco bushels. Expert
ence has taught me that tight floor is
not the proper thing for a corncrib.
Cracks, if not more than an inch wide,
should be left as near as ten inches
apart at least. @Experience has taught
me as we'll that such pile of corn
wants circulation Of air through the
center for safety. For this take two
boards and inches wide; nail in V
shape with cleats every six feet to keep
from spreading. Put this in lengthwise
in the center, with holes cut in ends Of
crib. If corn is taken ont at the end, the
ventilator can be made in short pieces
SO it can be removed as corn is taken