The Atlanta constitution., 1900-01-01

machinery or appliances to do the shred
ding? and about what the cost OF shreo-
dins?
Please give MS all the information nee
essary from start TO finish.
Until late years a rigid economy has
not been considered necessary in thls
portion of the country. but repupicahlSii,
and low prices ON farm products deflan9
a change We highly appreciate the good
work of The Constitution on all lines
Answer-A chapter" nor even col
umn. on the subject of shredding corn
stalks is necessary at this time. Indeed,
IL would hardly be expedient To go INTO
details so far in advance of the next
season. In 1894 tho Georgia experiment
station, of which the writer is director,
commenced to experiment In harvesting
corn by cutting and shocking the stalks
ears. blades and staks-and shredding
the "stover'-which means everything
but the ears. The cutting and shocking
has long been prao;iced in the north and
west. | wished to thoroughly test the
feasibility of adopting the same practice
i'm the south. and was led to do so by
the fact that machines for shredding the
stover had but a short time before been
invented and successfully introduced. The
experiments commenced in 1894 resulted
so favorably that they were repeated in
1898. and I'm the winter following 1 PIE
pared and published "A bulletin (No. 800
containing the results. In 1896 1897. 1898
and 1889 the practice became thoroughly
established on the station farm at Expe-
riment. Bulletin 30 was soon exhausted.
so great was the demand for II bY farm
ers. The plan has been adopted by thou
sands of Georgia farmers, tentatively, at
first, and permanently / believe.
The cornstalks Will cure and the ears
will become dry and remain sound Just
as well and even better than in the north
and west.
The details are quite simple or course
Fodder pulling is done away with IN
tirely. When the corn grains commence
10 dent and the shuck begins To fade
and dry. or about one week later than
the stage at which good farmer of the
old school would pull fodder, the stalks
are cut down just above the surface
and about lJo to 20 stalks are put in II
shock rather open ut the base ANA closely
tied At the top with a good twine strirg.
In four to eight weeks the time .ang-
ing according to the weather. the talks
and ears Will be dry enough 10 shred
The former AND saocs n3t and cI:a the Lat.
.e-.
There are several STYLES of shredders
and several different manufacturers. and
also several different sizes. one style
takes the dry stalks. blades and shucks
after Shucking out the corn by hand.
Another viii Gake the entire stalks, snap
off and partly shuck the ears before the
latter get INTO the knives. Prices range
from Si5 and freight mp 10 500 and over
according To capacity. The smallest SlIr.
requiring about two horsepower, VIII
shred IA half TO three-quarters of a ton
an hour. one that will cost about $40
will require four horsepower and VIII
shred one to one and quarter tons Ter
hour. The machine is very much Ike a
large power feed cutter, but the corn
stalks are not cut off square into short
hts. but slit and shredded 50 as To r"-
semble coarse hay in texture.
The shredded stuff. corn hay IS IT nay
be called. but shredded cornStBihs, -
more common, is liked by horses mules
and cattle Ii is fully twice as valuable
for feeding as are cotton hulls, ana
probably equal to average grass hay such
as is shipped south.
grain are not materially impaired ut at
alD by cutting and shocking. rms %li
suffice for the present IL - "a