The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-08-03
Shocking and Shedding Corn.

shocking anu iSHIcoulAS ON1AA'
Several correspondents have requested
that the details of the method of harvest
ing corn by cutting down the stalks ana
| curing the same in shocks be published
| again l have no doubt that very many
| others Will be glad to see such re-
| publication. If | could thereby induce
several thousand southern farmers to
| adopt this method [ would not hesitate
to keep the description as standing matter
| throughout the month OF August con
slider it the greatest stroke of economy
| that may be at once inauEurated ana
| practiced by a farmer. In one houI
time a farmer can make every essential
ureparat ton for doing the work. One may
read this article during the noon hour
of the day he commences the hot ana
exhausting and profttless work of pull
ing fodder" become a convert 10 the
shocking" method. and put 1t into prac-
teal operation when the hands go 10
work after dinner. All that is needed Is
piece Of small plow line, feet long,
with trace ring tied at one end OF 1t,
few sharp wedding hoes, frame or
'shocker" upon which to stand While
tying a shock, and supply of ordinary
halins or binder twine
is about one week later than the stage
at which farmers are accustomed to
pull fodder" If 1t be q little later no
harm will result except the few addi-
tlonal blades that may turn brown If
the weather be hot and dry, which Will
then be liable to loss If a rain occurs
The work of cutting may be done regard
less of the weather, provided ii be not
actually raining at the time. ! have had
4 the hands engaged at cutting and shock
ing to he run IN by n heavy shower
Of rain, and resume the work so soon
as the rain ceased, the only result being
a sight wetting from handling the wet
stalks.
The stalks may be cut down with
! sharp wedding hoe. 1 inches above
/ the ground, or with regular corn stalk
! harvester. which viii cut a row as fast
/ as team of two horses will draw 1t.
! and tie the stalks in bundles of fifteen to
/ twenty stalks. From $50 to 300 stalks,
varying lnversely according to their
height and size. may be put into one
shock. Where the stalks are moro than
6 or s feet in height it is well TO use q
''shockcr," which is nothing more than
piece of scantllng 3 by inches by u or
ii feet long, with two legs or feet
long put on the ground. There should
be a 1 u inch hole bored horizontally
through the scantling about 4 feet from
the legs and a loosely fitting pin, or rod,
! 4 or feet long. insreted to It's middle
point in the hole. The use of the shocker
( will be at once obvious: Place It at the
position where you wish to make shock.
Bring the cut corn (as soon as cut, if de-
sired by armfuls to the shocker and
place III first one and then another Of the
four angles formed by the rod and the
scan;ling, until the desired number Of
! stalks is thus placed. Then one man
mounts on the lower side Of the shocker,
throws the rope around the Top. places
tho hand end Of the rope through the
ring tied at the other end and draws
the top of the shock together as tightly
as possible q little below the tassels.
Then tie tightly with strong Irvine and
at once release the rope. The rod is
then withdrawn and the shocker moved
to the place for the next shock. Care
should be used to jab each bundle of
stalks firmly against the ground while
holding them In the slanting position in
which they should stand. Let the butt
ends of the stalks spread out somewhat.
Il Is a good idea to go over the field
a week or ten days after building the
shocks and tighten the Irvine. as the
stalks viii shrink good deal in that
time
How long should the shocks stand In
the field before they viii be ready to haul
up TO The barn yard? 1t is like asking
the question how long after cut fruit is
put out to dry before it win be dry The
answer in both cases would bet de-
ponds on the weather and the size OF the
stalks. o. the size and thickness of the
pieces OF fruit" That is to say, the
shocks should remain In the field until
the ears are dry enough for the crib and
the stalks dry enough to shred and keep
sound. With no rain a all, and open,
hot weather ! have known the shocks
to be sufficiently dry In four weeks. Tn
DER more unfayorable conditions, five,
SIX or even eight weeks may he re-
quired. Il is important, however. that
the stalks should be absolutely air dry.
else the shredded stuff will not keep well.
Some may ask If the ears of corn will
be as heavy after emitting and shocking
and curing they would be IL left to
Dry on the stalk as usual. The answer
is-yes. The ears do not lose weight by
this process of harvesting. in comparison
with the common method. On the con-
trary, experiments indicate that the
grain of corn so harvested will be Il little
heavier, because It was cut a little later
than the fodder pulling stage. 1t should
, be understood that IL the blades be
stripped from a living stalk of corn all
vital processes cease at once. just as