Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-01-24

than cut corn fodder. / will give you
our plan of securing 1t. Soon as corn is
fit to cut, which is just as soon as the
corn can be cut without shrinking the
grain, or while all the leaves on the
stalks are still green and before frost,
we take our Mccormick corn harvester
and cut and bind the corn in about four
hills to the bundle If the weather is
fine, land we try to cut only in good
weather. we let the bound corn lay on
the ground and cure all they will for
two or three days according to the sun.
shine, and then we set it up in very
large shocks as by first letting it cure
out before shocking, We can put up
large shocks without fear of moulding
or heating in the shock. We cut about
one hundred acres this way each year.
Then as soon as we finish up husking
the standing corn we keep our crew Of
corn huskers and begin cutting and
husking our corn fodder from the
shocks. We use combined husking
and cutting machine, run by sixteen
horse traction engine. We rig up three
low wheeled wagons. with man and
team to each wagon. We use q plat
form rack on each wagon. We put
our best man in the field to pitch the
bundles from the shocks upon the
wagons, he keeps them going nicely.
Each man as he comes in with his load
throws it from his wagon, bundle at
time, upon the table of the machine,
cutting the band, retaining the same In
his hand as he throws the bundle upon
the table. Each wagon hauls five
shocks to load making about thirty
five bushels of husked corn to the load.
We husked from ten to fourteen loads
OF shocked corn per day, of about forty
bushels to the load, or from 400 to $50
bushels per day, averaging over 400
bushels per day on the hundred acres
cut up. AS to help would say that
1t took one man to pitch In the field,
three men to haul, three men part of
the time, and two all the time to NOW
It away in the barn, two men to feed
the machine and keep cleaned up
around the machine, keep oiled up &C.,
one at the engine and one to unload
corn, making ten men to do the work
all the time and an extra man at
the last, filling the barn clear to the
track of the hay carrier in the peak of
the barn. will further state for the
benefit of those that are afraid of the
feed spelling that we have pile in the
barn 81 by ia feet long and at least 40
feet deep In the center and it has not
even warmed yet this winter.
The fodder was perfectly dry when
cut, the corn Smelling badly when cut.
The curing the fodder before shocking,
unless the corn is very green or the
season very wet, will prevent all mould
ing Of the fodder. You will now per-
ceive that the men doing the work put
over 40 bushels of corn in the crib per
day, and at the same time, and with the
saEe expense have put the fodder in
the barn ready tor use in one of the
most satisfactory conditions that corn
fodder was ever fed in.
A good stand of corn, especially with
q growth of stalk like this season past,
will yield three tons of feed per acre.
We will now show you that 1t will
pay to cut up corn and cut the fodder
at the present price of hay and grain.
In the Grst place we have cut 100 acres
of corn and bound it for one dollar per
acre, which is one hundred dollars.
We will call shocking 20 cents per acre,
$50, for 10 men IA days cutting aud
husking, $40, for use of engine and
husker 4 days q 81 per day, $98, to
cost of fuel $40, making total cost of
1888 with your corn all In the crib and
fodder in the barn. We will now have
to deduct the husking of the corn from
the expense which at one dollar per
acre, a very low price is 800. 1t
is certainly worth 20 cents per acre
to have your field clear of stalks for
working in the spring, $50. making
$l20, to be deducted from the total ex.
pense will leave US as cost for cutting
our corn and cutting and storing our
fodder In the barn &248, now II we
have 300 tons of good fodder In the
barn, what is 1t worth? It has cost us
$248. Now allowing it worth half as
much as hay, which ct present price Is
at least S6 per ton, would be 90 per ton
for our, fodder or $500. 1t has cost us
$248 to put 1t in the barn. Will 1t pay !
rather think it will. And 1t will pay
farther than this, for we have saved 100 |
acres Of land by cutting up our corn for
feed 80 we have an extra hundred acres |
for pasture instead of having to save 1t |
for hay.
think hear some one say 1--WE can
not afford to buy corn binder to cut |
up corn. Well IL you will figure q
little again, we find that the mower, the
hay loader, hay rake, hay fork, rope and
carrier, will cost US nearly twice as
much as the corn binder
Then again you will say we can not
afford to buy an engine or power and
machine to cut up our corn fodder.
We have proved to you that 1t will cost
you no more to hire your machine to
husk and cut your crop than to hire
your husking and haying, besides you
have saved the rent on the 100 acres
of land, as we have got two crops on the
same land in one year. After trying
this plan for five years, We have made
mp our minds that it pays, and shall
continue to follow it as long as we con-
tinue to farm.
On Thursday afternoon the number
that came to attend. the meeting was
SO large that it was accommodated
with difficulty in the spacious court
room. The program opened by music
by the Almoral quartet followed by
recitation by Miss Eva Rector, of
Oneida, both numbers being heartily
applauded
The first subject for discussion was
What Shall Mothers Do to Elevate the
Present Morals? w. H. Connelt of
this city, Mrs Eva Minkler, of Edge
xuno1 and Nfro Dntho,eo.xl $50