Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-08-01
farm amd 9iresiae.
SHREDDING CORN.

toned to pulling fodder that it is diff
fcult to stop doing so. Hence we be.
gin in time this year to call attention
to this subject. Fodder has been pull
ed to save for dry food for horses.
Many think they must continue to pull
for this purpose. They think that
without fodder they would not know
how to feed. They do not know or
remember that vast majority of horses
and mules never saw fodder. That
none ever saw it until few years ago
comparatively. The corn from which
we pull fodder was not known to the
farming world until recent period.
Even now its cultivation is confined
to small area. And a very small
part of those who grow corn ever pull
fodder. This practice is confined al
most entirely to few southern states.
Horses do as we'll with hay for
roughage as with fodder.
There is no use pulling fodder sim.
ply to get roughage for horses and
mules. There are so many hay grasses
that make this kind of food cheaper.
There is no necessity to pull fodder.
Neither is it saving business. Habit
has taught us to believe that we must
pull the fodder to save it. That we
would lose something if we did not
pull the fodder. This is a mistake for
several reasons. In fact it is loss to
pull fodder.
The blades are so necessary to the
life of the corn that it makes the ears
lighter to pull them off for fodder. All
growing processes stop at once when
the leaves are stripped from the stalks.
The grains are never full while the
blades are green.
Fodder is always pulled before the
blades are all dead. The loss of weight
is always about equal to the weight
of the fodder. 1t is much greater
when the fodder is pulled little green
as is very often done. Here there is
positive loss in value. The cost OF
pulling and saving the fodder must be
added to this loss. Fodder costs more
than it is worth. First it costs about
rs cents to save hundred pounds Of
fodder, and the damage to the corn is
about the same often fully 81.
So we see each 100 pounds of fodder
costs about $3.50.
We see then that a farmer who pulls
fodder is actually ipjuring himself.
Throwing away money.
But many will say we must have
roughage for our stock. What shall we
do about it? Well you cannot only
stop losing, but you can save money
and at the same time have more rough
food. How can we do that? Simply
cut down the whole stalk. Do this
about ten days later than you would
pull the fodder and you will save all
the fodder and have full weight corn,
and have a great deal more to feed
with. The stalk and the shuck and
the sheath of the fodder blades that
you do not get, are all just as good as
the fodder. Cut the whole stalk and
shuck it so that it will stand firm until
it dries thoroughly. This will take
from four to six weeks. Then you
can haul it to the barn and stack or
shred it.
The shredder is a machine that
tears the stalk to pieces and mixes it
with the blades and shucks so as to
make an excellent hay. Experiments
have proved that this whole stalk hay
is an excellent food. All stock eat it
freely and thrive upon it.
The part of the cornstalk below the
ear is richer in food value than the
top. The hard casing of silex, which
gives strength to the stalk, is very un-
pleasant to stock. 1t is often so sharp
as to cut the gums. The shredder de-
stroys this, and the cattle eat it freely
in this ground condition. The shred
der will, at the same time, take off the
ear, either shucked or slip.shucked.
If desired it will she'll and sack the
corn.
Nothing is lost, the entire stalk is
made into food. Thus you have more
than double the roughness. The stalk
is worth about the same as the ear
crop. Why then should it be lost?
Again, pea vines, oat straw, wheat
straw, and any other hay material
may be run through the shredder with
the cornstalks or separate. This is
great item of saving to many farmers.
Oat and wheat straw are about as good
as fodder for stock. But when fed
whole or partly cut there is very
large waste. Run through the shred
der all is saved.
Very many would like to use the
shredder; but as they are small farm
ers they are not able. What shall they
do? One shredder can shred many
crops. Several can combine and buy
one. Or one man can shred for com.
munity, for toll or cash.
While it is important to let the corn
get thoroughly dry before shredding,
when it is dry you can wait any length
of time before shredding.
We cannot say in one article all
that needs to be said about this great
Improvement in saving the corn stalk
crop.
Do not pull any more fodder. 1t is
a costly and losing business.-Southern
Cultivator.
aD Few stains are more obstinate
than those made by vaseline. How to
remove them was told recently by