Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-09-25
Harvest the Corn Fodder.

1t is evident that we are to have
short hay crop this year, not as short
as we expected about the middle of
May, nor by any means as large as
some statisticans would make us be-
lieve. Very much of it in some por-
tions of the west has been seriously
damaged by untimely rain, and some
could not be cut for hay at all, but
had to be harvested for seed. A
great deal Of the oatsstraw has been.
damaged from the same causes, and
therefore this seems to US one Of the
years when the farmer should har-
vest not three. tifths of the crop as
ears, but five fifths.
One of the great advantages
which the farmer in the corn grow
ing country enjoys is that if any di-
saster happens to the hay crop he
can, if he will by planning in time
recoup the loss by harvesting his
entire corn crop. We do not for
moment claim that this is practic-
able for all farmers. The failure to
harvest the corn crop has been pro-
claimed as a very great waste by
writer's in eastern agricultural jour
nails, forgetting that there is ordi-
narily no market for it but the home
market, forgetting that the farmer
cannot afford to 60 to the expense
of harvesting his crop and the addi-
tional expense of husking, unless he
has market either in the immedi-
ate neighborhood or through the
stock on his own farm.
The man who is growing one
hundred acres of corn on quarter
section, and has but a few COWS and
horses, had better get what he can
out of his corn crop with the least
expense and waste the rest. Even
then, however, it would be better for
him to sell timothy hay in the mar
ket if he has any and make the corn
fodder take its place.
The mere matter of harvesting the
corn, while expensive, is very SIM
pie matter. The great difficulty lies
in handling it after it is harvested.
We have never believed it good pol
icy to put corn in the shock, then
husk it out by hand. Where corn is
husked out Of the shock, refunded
and shocked again, the loss in quail
ity from weather is enormous
Where corn is put in the shock and
let stand until it is fed out as late
as February or March, half its val.
ue as feed las been lost, to say
nothing about the ugly tempers thai
are developed when the farmer has
to dig the corn out of the shock af
ter the rain has melted the snow
and the butts have frozen fast to tn,
ground.
: The problem, therefore, is not tn
i harvesting, which can be done ex
t peditiously with the corn sled o
> corn harvester or by the 'arm
3 strong" method. The main problem
5 to solve is how to handle it after
: wards. Where farmers have pro
vided themselves with silos-and W
g hope to see silos doubled in numbe
; this year in the central part of ou
' territory-it is very easy problem
Haul direct from the field to the 81
t 10, blow it into the silo and you al
done with it.
The next best method is to shire
! it. The difference between shredt
= ing corn fodder and putting itin til
silo is comparatively trifing, all til
! difference in fact being the haulin
of the water which green corn cal
. ries. The advantage in shreddin
corn is that it can be put under Gov
er and kept safely till late spring {
o till the next year, if desirable.
It When the winters are dry an
! cold, the farm large, and feeding I'll
cattle during the winter an impor
3 ant industry on the farm, probabl
as much clear money is made b