The Colfax chronicle., 1900-11-24
FARMER AND PLANTER.
SECURING CORN BY MACHINE.
Knife - Rapidly Passing
Away.


The time is close at hand when
the old-fashioned hand corn knife
will be thing of the past. Even the
past two or three years has seen it
going into disuse to noticeable ex-
tent. The time will soon come when
it will be- as old-fashioned as the
grain cradle. Farmers are discard
ing the corn knife for the same rea-
son they did the grain cradle-its use
is too laborious and slow.
The corn-cutting sled is meeting
with considerable favor with many
farmers. One horse and two men are
all that are required. They are able
to do more work this way than they
are with knives, besides doing the
work better and easier. The corn is
cut evener and closer to the ground.
We have personally found the labor
much easier on the sled.
The larger class of corn raisers use
the corn binder almost entirely. The
binder has been much improved dur
ing the last years. Many are now
able to do quite satisfactory work.
Two years ago we tried two different
makes with the idea of purchasing,
but were not pleased with results. In
medium sized corn both did very well,
and with the exception of breaking
off good many ears they did about
all that one could ask.
We did not find any difficulty until
we put the binders into large sized,
heavy corn, and then we soon found
they were utterly unable to do u
thing. Neither machine could bind
the corn fast enough to take care of
what it cut. The machines were
tried at different times, and both
agents were present. / understand
both binders have been improved
much since then, but / should advise
anyone against purchasing machine
until they know it will handle itself
in all kinds of corn We have no use
for a corn binder that can not cut
such corn as the Pride of the North,
Leaning or any corn of that size.
We put most of our corn crop into
a silo every year and have found this
the most profitable way to dispose of
it. We always have some ten or
twelve acres left over each year
which we work up in the old way.
Before we put in the silo we got
satisfaction in having
our corn husked by machine each
fall, and, of course, the stover was
cut. We considered this cutting
about as much value as having the
corn husked. The stocks were half
cut and half crushed, which made
them very desirable for feeding.
The corn may be hauled directly
from the field to the husker, but /
think better and cheaper way is to
haul the corn to the barn and house
or else stack near where the machine
will set. Much will depend on circum-
Husking this way works best where
the corn has been cut with a binder.
have known shocked corn to be
taken down and handbound into small
bundles for hauling. This means
more work, but nonetheless can
often be done at profit.
A great deal of care must be OBJ
served in drawing corn to see that IL
s thoroughly cured. Corn hauled
when damp and put into the barn in
arge amounts will soon spoil if care
s not taken. More care must be OBJ
served when husked that it is not
lamp, and especially if it is to be
'iled much. If it can be scattered
hree or four feet deep it does not |
natter SO much. We learned this SIM
Die fact once by spelling nearly a
Whole corn crop.
In taking care of husked corn we
Inow OF no better way than to have
wo double boxed wagons and use
hese alternately under the carrier.
have noticed that some find fault |
With the husker on account of she'll |
ng too much corn. This is some-
hing | do not know much about. We
lever had any experience with this
ifficulfy that was at all noticeable.
'ome huskers may bother; the one
We used did not.
Our experience with feeding fodder
ut with husker was good. Stock
Ike. fodder SO cut well. / am con-
iReed that this is the best way of
airing for the corn crop, barring the
Ito; possibly for some purposes fod-
er SO cut would be better than si-
age.-Cor. Chicago Drovers' journal