Barton County democrat., 1912-11-15
vENTILArG YOUR CORN CRIBS

never did before, there will he a
great deal of rejected corn in all that
portion Of the corn country north Of
latitude 1880. and very considerable
Of 1t south Of that latitude. Farmers
are slow to realize that the improv-
ed corn which we have been growing
in late years needs much more venti-
lation than the type Of corn grown
ten or fifteen years ago. They are
finding out in the last two or three
years that it is much more difficult
to secure seed corn of that type than
Of the old type with larger cob and
wider spaces between the rows, For
the same causes which make the sav,
ing of seed corn difficult will render
special ventilation necessary, if they
are to have No. 2 or even No. 3 |
corn. The corn with the medium
sized cob and deep grains will not dry
out nearly as rapidly as the corn
with a larger cob and shallower
grains.
Again, this year there has been
good deal Of frosted corn, particular
1
ly in the northern part Of the corn
belt. We often hear farmers wish
that there would come a frost and
stop the growth of corn, in order tina
it might dry out in time to crib. They
forget that when corn is killed by
the frost, the cell structure of the
entire plant is destroyed, and hence
can not help to dry out the corn. Just
/ think a minute. Sap has been con-
stantly coming up since spring from
the roots through the plant, and out
| through the leaves and husks. When
: corn dies naturally, the cell struc-
, ture remains and the same force
which brought the sap up through the
stalk and out through the leaves will
/ take what remains in the stalk out
through the leaves, through the ears
( and through the husks, for the rea-
5 son that the cell structure is not de-
stroyed. The machine is still in op-
GRAFTON.
Two years ago we had frost in
October (or was it earlier?) which de
S stroyed the cell structure, killed the
, plant. Do not our readers remember
t how that year the husks failed to
d open as they usually do, but clung
d close to the ear? The result was
d moldy corn. There was no natural
d way for the moisture to get out. Fun
/ gous entered from the end of the
ear and spread all through it, ant
You had nodded corn.
e Another consideration: Frosted
S corn is never as dry as it seems tC
n be when you husk it. In other wordI
: there is far more water in it thai
+ one would imagine. Any farmer car
h test this out. Let him take a few
e ears from the wagon when he bring!
/ in his corn, weigh the lot, put it il
r. the oven and kiln dry it, Make it as
If dry as you can. Then note th'
r shrinkage in weight. If you have i
l. thoroughly kiln dried, you may adj
lie ten or twelve per cent to the weight
which will give you normal No.
corn. All above that weight is watel
(. Corn does not need to be No. 2 t
e be cribbed. 1t can very well hav'
S, sixteen to eighteen per cent of wate
IN instead of ten or twelve per cent
st The frosted corn this year will con
II tain thirty per cent of water. If pu
in an ordinary crib without ventila
te ton, it will heat in the center AM
er become moldy; or at any rate vii
i. be so deteriorated in quality that !
ye will not grade, and will sell at n
re grade prices. The part Of this frost
s. ed corn that can not be fed to liv
N stock before freezing weather had be
d. ter be left standing in. the fields a
tn long as possible; for it will dry ou
there much better than if husked an
al put in the crib.
IN What then, is the remedy? Vent
of late your cribs. Some farmers, wher
I'd old fence rails are plentiful, adoT
I'd the plan of throwing in few rail
IN in the center of the crib, commend
he ing within a couple of feet from tn
bottom, and putting them in at il
mt tervals, and thus allowing more c
'e less access Of air. Others use til'
n These, however, are very easily dii
er placed, and the ventilation interrup
he ed. There are two methods, hOV
be ever, that are thoroughly practical.
II Where you have a board floor
~ the crib, take up a board along i
ia the middle Of the crib and nail owe
y the opening a piece Of screen {
chicken wire-something that wi