The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-08-08
Silredding Corn.

1
toned to pulling fodder that it is diff
ficult 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 thoy 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. Thrt
none ever saw it until few years age
comparatively. The corn from which
we pull fodder was not known to the
farming world until recent period.
Even now it's 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 IS 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 grass
es 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 mistake for
several reasons. In fact it is loss to
pull fodder.
The blades are SO necessary to the
life Of 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
bladee 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
75 cents to save hundred pounds of
fodder, aud the damage to the corn is
about the same; often fully 81.
So we see each 100 pounds Of fodder
costs about4S1. 80.
We see then that a farmer who pulls
fodder is actually injuring 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. bow can we do that? Simply
cut down the whole stalk. Do this
about ten days later than. you would
pull the fodder aud you will save all
ths fodder and have full weight corn,
Sand have q great deal more to feed
with. The stalk and the shuck and
the sheath Of the fodder blades that
you do not get,s ,sare all just as good as
the fodder. Cut the whole stslk and
shut itso that It ~il! stand firm rntii
it dries thoroughly. This will take
from four to sixpweeks. Then you
can haul IL to the barn and stack or
shred it. -
The shredder is machine that
tears the stalk to pieces and mixes it
!withsthe blades and shacks so as.to
make az ezcellcnt hay. Experiments
have proved that this whole stalk hay
is en- 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 atstk, is very I'M
pleasant to stock. It is often 80 sharp
as to cut the gums: The shredder de-
stroys this, and the cattle eat it freely
10 this ground condition. The shred
der will, at the same time, take of the
ear, either shucked or slip. .shucked.
/ II desired it will shell and sack the
corn.
Nothing is lost, the entire stalk is
made into flood. Thus you have more
than dcuble the roughness. Tho
stalk is worth about the. same as the
ear crop. Why then should it be lost7
Again, pea vines, oat straw, wheat
straw, ana any ether hay material
may be run through the shredder With
the cornstslks OF 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 0r partly cut there is q very