The Somerset reporter., 1897-10-14
NA SAT ss,4S
AGARMsF
8g AAD GARDEN
THE CORN HARVEST.

New Methods Which Employ Harvesting
Machines, shredders and Huskers.
During the dry seasons when hay
crops were short and forage of all kinds
fcarce, the true worth of we'll cured
corn fodder was discovered by western
farmers. Farmers of the great corn
states formerly considered nothing of
| the crop valuable except the ears, but
fair trial convinced them that corn
htoeer, well harvested and taken care
of, was almost if not quite equal to
timothy hay in feeding value-a point
that has long been recognized in the
east. The great labor in cutting corn
by hand has had much to do with
preventing the universal use of the
fodder, but with the advent of the
many kinds of sled cutters the corn
binder and the husker and shredder
much of the exhaustive labor is elimi-
mated, says American Agriculturist in
connection with the following remarks
on the new methods:
The sled cutters are cheap. The corn
binders mark an era of great advance
ment in the culture of the corn crop.
The corn is cut off by means of draw
knives and sickle and bound while still
standing upright into bundles, which
are discharged in piles for convenience
in shocking. Corn Of any size is readily
taken care of, and Kaffir corn, sorghum,
cane, Milo maize, etc., can be harvest
ed satisfactorily. 1t matters little how
badly the corn is lodged-the binder, if
skillfully handled, will pick up the
stalks, straighten them out and bind
them In neat bundles. Even il fat on
the ground the points of the gatherers
can be run under the stalks and thus
raise them The first binders made by
the Mccormick harvesting machine
company were put on the market in
1890. In 1895 over 1000 were sold. A
number of experiment stations in the
United States and Canada have tested
this machine. There is also manufac-
tured an improved corn shredder and
husker to supplement the corn binder.
This machine has a pair of II inch
swapping rolls and a shredder of the
same width. 1t has one pair of hori-
zontal husking rolls, a fan and sieve
by which the corn that is accidentally
shelled is cleaned, and an elevator by
which it is delivered into a sack. A l6
foot fodder carrier and ID inch ear
carrier complete the equipment. 1t is
to be operated with any power on the
farm, from the two horse tread to the
eight horse sweep, or an engine, or
gasoline motor. These machines have q
large capacity, husking bushel basket
of ears with two horse tread in fair
corn every minute.
The low wagon for hauling ensilage
fodder is made by hanging two by @
inch tim bers ID feet long from the hind
axle of an ordinary farm wagon. The
forward ends are brought together and
fastened to the front wheels by means
Of swivel bolt. One man on the
ground can easily load all the green
fodder one team can draw.
To get the best quality Of fodder and
at the same time the largest amount Of
feed cut when the husks begin to glaze
or dry up. Put into medium or large
shocks and allow to remain in the field
until the stalks and blades are thor
oughly cured, then run through shred
der or store in stack or barn OF course
much corn fodder cannot be put under
cover because of a lack of storage room,
in which case it is best to make the
shocks large, so that smaller percent
age of the fodder will be bleached. II
the ears are not cared for particularly,
but the very best forage is desired, cut
little earlier than recommended above,
place in small shocks until partially
cured, then put several smaller ones to-
gether, advises the authority quoted