The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1896-10-08

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Shredded Fodder Harvesting Machinery.
The large average Of corn this season
and the shortage III many cases OF the
hay crop will mak1it profitable to save
a large amount of am fodder. Where
dairying IS practiccd. The silo ought to
be filled. If this is rot practicable, and
for many general stock farmers 1t will
not be, corn fodder will form The great
er part of the rough feed tie coming
season, the shredded product IN many
places replacing hay even for horses
The value of the corn fodder viii de
pend upon the care exercised in har-
vesting, curing and storing It. In this
connection American AgriculturSt
gives the following practical informa-
ton:
If corn has been sown especially for
the fodder, cut after the bloom has fall
en-, SO the stalks and blades will be in
the best possible condition to be digest
ed and assimilated. Put up IN small
Shocks and rs soon as 1t is thoroughly
dried out, stack or store IN "a NOV or
under a hay shed. Properly cured fod-
der of tins kind can be fed i'll the stable
with little Inconvenience, as the stalks
will be almost completely consumed and
therefore not in the way when the stalls
are cleaned.
If the hill corn is desired for both
fodder and the grain, allow 1t TO stand
until glazing occurs and the grain can
Just be indented with the finger nail
The stalks and blades will then be in
good condition for feed and the ears
sufficiently mature to be of good weight.
Put in shocks and allow to cure, To be
of most value this crop must be run
through fodder shredder and corn
husker Considerable fault was found
last year with the shredders from the
fact that many operators were injured
while feeding them. Guards will un-
doubtedly be provided, which viii less
Ell the danger and greater familiarity
with the machines will cause accidents
to become less frequent. Another objec
ton to shredded fodder is that it often
spoils if stored i'll mows. Some expert
ence will be required to enable person
to tell just when fodder is dry enough
to store. This same skill is necessary III
stacking or moving hay of all kinds,
but as haying has been practiced for
centuries farmers know just how to
handle it, The same will be true with
corn fodder. More experience will re-
suit in less loss.
Shredding, however, is not absolutely
necessary. Many good dairymen, as
well as general stock raisers, success
fully feed corn fodder unhusked. Occa-
sionally they are ridicuied, but they
make money at it, and there is no reason
why it should not be fed thus If 1t is
more economical Of time and labor and
equally profitable.
The greatest difficulty in securing
corn fodder is the amount of labor re-
quired to cut aud shock it. While this
drawback still exists, improved maehin
cry has robbed the bugbcUr 81 many OF
its terrors. Tho authority quoted
describes AS most desirable harvester
the corn binder, which cuts one row at
time binds it while still standing on
end and discharges the bundle to one
side Down corn, little corn, big corn,
it along quite readily. 1t can be used
for cnsilagc as we'll rs fodder corn
BeSdes the binder there arc very
great number of sled and wheeled side
cutters operated hy two men. The corn
is cut by the machine and the men car
ry it to tho shock and stand it up The
foot corn cutter is highly spoken of and
enables the operator to have free use Of
both hands for carrying the fodder.
Much moro corn, it is claimed can be
cut i'll Il day than with the hand knife.
1t is haId work operating these ma
chimes, but the corn eau be cut so much
more rapidly than by hand that they
are desirable. With the binder the labor
comes in taking up and carrying the
green bundle to the shock.