Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-10-09

CORN FODDER.

Cutting, Curing and Storing Feed Com,
Shredded Fodder Harvesting Machinery.
TIL" large average of corn this season
and TIE shortage i'll many cases of the
hay crop will make il profitable to save
a large amount of corn fodder. Where
dairying is practiccd, the silo ought to
be filled. If this is not practicable, and
for many general stock farmers it will
not be- corn fodder will form the great
or part Of the rough feed the coming
season, the shredded product i'll many
places replacing hay even for horses.
The value of the corn fodder will de-
pend upon the care exercised i'll har-
vesting, curing and storing it. In this
connection American Agriculturist
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 Pat up in small
shocks, and as soon Is II Is thoroughly
dried out, stack or store in NOV or
under q har she'd. Properly cured fod-
der of tins kid can be fed iii the stable
with little Inconvenience, as the stalks
will be almost completely consumed and
therefore nlt in the way VIXEN the stalls
are cleaned.
If the hill corn Is desired for both
fodder aud tlo gain, allDT it to stand
until glazing occurs and TIC grain can
Just be indented with the finger nail
The stalks and BLADES viii then be in
good condition for feed aud the ears
sufficiently mature to lie Of god weight
Put in shocks and allow to cure. 70 be
of most value this crop must be run
through Il fodder shredder and corn
huskcr Considerable fault was found
last year with the shrndders from the
fact that many operators were injured
while feeding them. Guards will un-
doubtedly be- provided, which will less
en- 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 in Knows Some expert
ence will be required to enable person
to tell just when fodder is dry enough
to store. This Same skill is necessary in
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, isnot absolutely
3 Ini
well as general stock raisers, success
fully feed corn fodder unhusked. Occa-
sionally they are ridiculed, but they
make money at it, and there is no reason
why it should not be fed thus if it is
more economical Of time and labor and
equally profitable.
The greatest difficulty i'll securing
corn fodder is the amount of labor re-
quired to cut and shock it. While this
drawback still exists, improved machin-
cry has robbed the bugbear of many OF
its terrors. The authority quoted
describes as a 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,
are handled with ease. Two horses take
it along quite readily. 1t can be used
for ensilage as we'll as fodder corn.
Besides the binder there are a very
great number Of sled and wheeled side
cutters operated Ey two men. The corn
is cut by the machine and the men car
~ it to the 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 more corn, it is claimed, can be
cut in IA day than with the hand knife.
1t is had work operating these ma
chimes, but the corn can 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.