Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-09-14
for the prospect, as it stands, replied,
"I prefer not to gamble"

times, thrown more or less llSnt on the
subject. There are some who would
naturally suggest "plenty of money"
From all the reporter knows or has
reason to believe, the proprietor of
Springfield has. all the money that is
needed for his operations, but this is
by no means the explanation. There
has been brains and good management.
Mr.. McClain would, no doubt, rather
have the prospect of getting 8 cents
for his crop; but, at the same time,
nobody hears word from him in
complaint against the seemingly inevi-
table 5 cents. Even at that price, he
seems to be sure of handsome profit.
AS fine as it is, the cotton crop is by
no means the most striking feature of
Mr.. McClain's farming operations this
year. With an assurance that seems
to be q guarantee of success, be has
undertaken to blaze the way for the
people of this section with a new
method of harvesting and handling the
corn crop. People all over the county
have been complaining of their inabil-
ity to "pull fodder" on account of the
unfavorable weather conditions. Mr..
McClain has not troubled himself
about fodder pulling; but his corn has
already been harvested. 1t was cut
off close to the ground and is now
standing in great shocks, strung out
along the bottoms and across the 9TH
er fields on which it grew. p.
"Fodder pulling is a thing of the
past" said Mr.. McClain, in explana-
lion, "except in South Carolina and in
portions of North Carolina. In other
corn growing states they harvest as
you see / have done. 1 had two men
TO 60 along before, and at proper in
tervals tie the tops of four stalks
two from each row-together. Be-
hind these came men with hoes cut
ting down the remaining stalks, and
others gathered and shocked them up.
Following the gang came others with
twine, which they tied around the
tops of the shocks to keep the wind
from blowing the corn down.
"The proper time to begin harvest
ing is about when the fodder would
be ready to pull. If you will notice
the ends of the stalks, all rest on the
ground. Well, they continue to take
nourishment in that way and supply
the ears of corn with all the moisture
they need right on up until the corn
is thoroughly cured. The shocks
should be allowed to stand in the
field for several weeks, and, if desir-
able, it will do no harm to let them
stand until December. The corn will
be found to be in perfect condition,
and the stalks and fodder will also
have feed value.
''To those who are most thoroughly
up on the subject, experience has
proved that fodder is not worth the
pulling. There is no discount on the
value of fodder as feedstuf; but to
pull it from your own corn costs more
than. it comes TO-. In the first place,
it Injuries the corn seriously, and in
the second place the labor expended
in saving it amounts to almost, if not
quite, as much as its market price.
Take my corn crop in its present cons
dition, for instance. To put it there
has cost me just $98 LESS than it cost
me last year to pull the fodder off of
it. After I got the fodder off of it
last year, still had the corn To pull
and haul up, and after that there was
still left the stalks in the field TO be
looked after.
"And what will you do next?"
81 have recently purchased a corn
Shredder. When it comes and 1 get
ready, I will haul those shocks of
corn out of the fields to the shredder.
The shredder will strip the corn from
the stalks, completely husk about half
of it, slipshuck the balance, and tear
to pieces stalks and leaves all mixed
together. In this condition the stalks
are valuable for feed as is the fodder
itself, and you will see I will waste
absolutely nothing"
Mr., McClain harvested considera-
BILE portion of his corn crop with a
machine harvester, which cuts the
stalks off close to the ground and
throws them out in bundles, about
dozen stalks to the bundle. The ma
chine is drawn by two mules and
operated by two men, does about
dozen mems work. Owing to the
great value of time this year, however,
much of the crop was harvested by
hand.
Another feature of the production
of Springfield this year are the pea
vines. There are about 100 acres of
them, and Mr.. McClain thinks he can
easily save 100 tons but he will not
try to gather so much. He will pick
the peas off poor land and leave the
vines, while off rich land he will take