Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-09-13
TIL f, CITIZEN.
CORN FODDER.
Soft, Phant, Greer-How to Handle
II From Field to Barn

Soft, Pfiant, Green-How to Handle
1t From Field to Barn.
We watch our corn and try to cut Il
as soon as the grain is glazed and the
stalks show q lighter color below the
ear. This IS one particular part OF the
business. If you make a failure here,
you cannot recover from II. Corn can
be cut much greener than one might
think who has not tried #, and If the
shocks are not made too large the fod-
der will be away in the front rank,
says 4 correspondent Of Rural New
Yorker, who also tells 'tust how to
do all this:
We put from 25 to 35 hills in each
shock, owing TO size of corn. Too
small, some will say, but wait and
see. We first use one hill and an arm
full Of stalks with a good band around
them for 4 starter. We are very par
ticular to stand the corn evenly around
this hill until the shock is completed
and finish with two good. strong dOu-
bic bands binding rather low down
Very few hired men or their employ
ers know how to put up 4 81 1ck OF
corn so that it will stand until late in
the season and not fall down. | have
observed many fields where large num-
bers OF the shocks were down before
being cut one week. My father and
have put up eight acres ourselves, and
not six shocks fell down or unbound.
Our main crop being potatoes, the
corn is Of necessity left In the field un
til late IN the season and becomes thor
oughly cured. only the outside of the
shocks being touched by the weather
If the corn was to be husked earlier IN
the field. part Of the bleaching from
turning the shocks inside out can be
obviated by putting the stalks up in
very large shocks Of from % TO 80
bundles and binding with pumpkin
vines or q band made Of two or three
lengths Of stalks When we are ready
to begin husking. we put the 10 foot
fat rack on the low wheeled. wi =" tire
wagon The shocks having been set
In straight rows one way, we drive be-
tween two rows and are ready for busi-
ness. If the fall has been dry and the
stalks are brittle. we aim to draw In
the morning. when they are soft and
pllable from the night air.
After cutting the hills under shocks
enough for a load rebinding where
necessary, we are ready to begin our
load We have no man on the wagon
Two men with forks, standing side by
side at the same shock, raise 1t easily
and place It on the wagon; then one
from the opposite side, and so on al
ternately, laying In tiers around the
wagon until q load Is obtained. 1t Is
then hauled to the barn, the horses
driven straight up to the center Of the
doors, the shocks carried from the load
and piled In tiers across the barn floor
as high as two men can lift, with one
man on the tier to tread down. The
floor Is filed In this way, leaving only
room to begin husklng. The stalks
are put directly into the NOW and re-
main until taken out to be run through
the cutter and crusher When the corn
Is drawn IN the manner described, the
shocks come out to be husked In per
feet shape and form, the stalks are
soft and pleasant to handle, and cold
or warm, in cloud or sunshine, we pre-
fer to husk on the barn floor. No need
to turn the cows IN the cornheld to pick
up the litter There Is none there.
But this method Of husking cannot be
practiced early In the season.