The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-07-30
SHREDDING.

A Timely and Important Request
The Process MinuteIy Explained
Corn Stalks more Valuable than
Cotton Seed.
Tennessee Colony, Tex, June 3, '02.
Southern Cultivator, Atlanta, Ga.
For the benefit Of myself aud other
subscribers who have never seen any
corn shredded nor have any expert.
ence I'm cutting and shocking 1t, will
you please give us u short lesson or
drilling in your next issue? The shred
ding of corn In an entirely new lie
partuTe In this State. We have never
seen shredder nor heard Of one only
through the agricultural press. We
would like To know ut what stage OF
ripeness to cut the corn, what to cut IL
no machine for the business. How Is
the best way to shock 1t, so that the
shocks will stand up? How long should
the shocks stand in the field before
hauling up 10 the barn to be shredded?
| will wish to shred fifty or sixty acres,
that will yield fifteen or twenty bush
els of corn per acre. What size shred
der would you advise me to buy? A
two or fOur.horse machine. II they are
numbered that way? After finishing
my own crop my neighbors might
wish .me-in future years-tO shred
their crops. Any information on this
subject will be thankfully appreciated.
+. Il. SHELTON.
Tennessee Colony, Tex.
COMMENT: We cheerfully comply
with our correspondents request, be-
! cause il Ii timely and important.
Whether we shall pull fodder or cut
the stalks and shred stalks, fodder and
shucks into hay is an important mat.
ter. 1t means more than most Of us
appreciate.
There are in the South more than
thirty millions Of acres planted in
corn. The prime object Is to grow
corn 10 feed stock and hogs aud Incl.
dentally to feed men. Flour has al
most run corn bread out.
But to grow these more than three
hundred millions Of bushels Of corn
we must have the stalks. We do not
have to pay one cent for them. They
had TO be grown to get the ears. Now
what shall we do with them? Are
they worth anything? Yes, they are
worth q great deal. They are worth
as much as the corn. In many places
where corn IL very cheap they are
worth good deal more than the corn.
There will he at least thirty million
tons Of these stalks. Really the fig
ures will be nearer forty million tons.
These can be made into as many tons
/ x,f ~ 1, frnR fnn IN hnl u.
lars per ton according to locality. This
hay will bring il sold on the market
two hundred million dollars or more.
Are we Southern farmers rich
enough to loose all of this enormous
sum of money? Remember 1t is al.
ready made. IL only needs taking care
or
The corn stalk crop IL worth more
to the farmers than the cotton seed
crop. We would not think of burning
up the cotton seed. But We lose more
by failing to take care of the corn
stalks.
Take your individual crop. Your
fifty or sixty acres OF corn will have
from sixty to seventy-five tons OF
stalks. At ten dollars per ton, worth
six to seven hundred and fifty dollars
AZ fifteen dollars per ton, worth from
nine hundred to one Thousand dollars.
The cotton seed from same acreage
would he about fifteen tons ut fifteen
cents per bushel or nine dollars per
ton, worth one hundred and iifty-iive
dollars, leaving about seven or eight
hundred dollars in favor Of the corn
stalks.
If you do not wish to sell the stOver
hay, but keep ii for h' me use in feed
ing cattle, the value il still greater.
Properly cared for it Is equal In feed
value to any hay.
HOW TO cur AND SHOCK THE CORN.
The corn should be cut about week
later than you usually pull fodder,
when the most of the fodder Is drying
up. You cun cut with corn harvester
"a machine made for this business
Or you can cut with n sharp hoe or
with u large knife such IN butchers
use.
From one to two hundred stalks
should he put in each shock and ST.
curely tied so ~ to stand against wind
and rain storms. To do this well and
RAPIDLY, it will be helpful to take %
piece OF 3Xi scantling. II feet long
Nail two legs about three aud half or
feet long to one end, and about three
feet from this end bore one and
one. e.fourth inch auger hole. Have a
stick about four feet long to pass readi.
. ly through this hole. Place this horse
upon his two feet with the other end
of scantliEg resting on the ground and
put the stick In the auger hole. thus
making four corners. Place the corn