The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-09-28
FARMER AND PLANTER.
leARN,no NEW WAYS.
Cutting Corn and Sorghum by Machinery
and Saving Fodder.

Cnttisg Corn and Sorghum by Machinery
and Saving Fodder.
The farmer of the south is rapidly !,
learning to save his entire corn crop ,
by cutting the corn when it has just !,
passed out of the roastingear, and
shocking in the field, or putting it into
the. silo for winter use. The reason
why this Is more generally practiced
than formerly is because we can no
longer afford to pay labor to pull the
fodder from the stalk, to use it as hay,
and we know that If nothing but the
grain of corn is saved. that forty per
cent. Of the feeding value of the entire
crop is Lost in the stalk and blade.
Another thing which has discouraged
the use Of corn as fodder to great ex-
tent, Is the certain information that
different food is removed in the way
of fodder, which is lost to the ear of
corn, and we have our labor for our
pains with the satisfaction of knowing |
that we have some roughness on hand
for feeding.
Shocking corn is not popular in the
eastern southern states, because OF the
frequent heavy southern rains that
cause the corn to rot in the shock be-
fore it cures thoroughly. This does
not always happen, but it occurs oe-
easionally. and discourages this
method of harvesting the corn crop
In the southwest there is not so much
danger from rains, and shocking the
corn in the field is more generally
practiced than elsewhere in the south.
The labor of cutting corn with the
0ld-fashioned knife is severe, and for a
number of years the inventive genius
of our Yankee neighbors has been
turned to e'production of corn harv-
csting mach merry. The cheapest and
simplest form of corn harvester con-
sists of sled 211 feet wide and about
feet long, with projecting steel
wings, the front edge of which slope
to the rear at an angle OF As degrees.
These wings are some IS inches in
width. A mule drawing this sled be-
tween two rows OF corn brings the
sharp edges of the steel wings against
the corn butts of both rows just above
the ground and cuts them quickly. As
the corn is cut two men riding upor
the sled catch the corn and throw il
into heaps behind the harvester Thi!
sled, with its wings, can be made IN
any ordinary carpenter shop, or it car
be ordered from hardware houses o
this state. This machine, using tw'
men, will easily cut ten acres per day
There are other more expensive ma
chimes, complicated in pattern. ant
working upon different principles
some of which VIII do nicer work thai
will this simple sled. Some of then
have greater capacity per day, an
nearly any of those now being Target
advertised in agricultural papers ar
reliable, and will work if given fai
conditions.
Since the sorghum crop has becom
of such importance upon the farms {
Texas, the question of how to cut
when planted in drills is one OF increa'
ing interest. The simple machine d.
scribed above will cut drill sorghum
with ease and satisfaction. In this Sc
ton of the state we prefer to cut dri
sorghum, throwing it into gavels b
hind the machine, let it take the su
for a day, and then turn each CAV
over, and after another days sun hal
the sorghum and stack it in long rick
where it may be fed later in the seaso
This method of handling does not m
up the stalks, but allows them all to il
straight, makes the hay easy to handl
and saves the fodder in the best pos
BILE condition. Sometimes the secol
growth Of sorghum is SO short VIII
rain is lacking, that the stalks a
light and low, and the machine tn
we use at this place will not do
best work In this case we depend I
on an ordinary moving machine
have gotten some inquiries aski
whether or not this station can SUPP
corn harvesters to purchasers. ia
this opportunity to say we are not
the implement business, and can 7
afford to give our time to work OF &
character. The reliable implems
dealers of this state can furnish q
of these tools that may be desir
They are certainly great labor saw
when corn or sorghum crop is to
cut off of the land.-College Static
Texas.