The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-20


from 10Th men and horses.
1t is necessary to put the crop mo
the si!G at exactly the right perioo
and it is not always possible to OBTAIN
the help needed at that particular
moment. OF course the most i'm
pOrtant thing is to get cutters ana
engines when needed, becaus an early
frost or a period Of dry, hot weather
may make it necessary to cut the
crop several days before 1t had been
expected to be ready.
Some m buy their own cutters
and depend upon their ability to hire
an engine to run them. the
best plan for small farmers is to own
an outfit of cutter and engine in part
nership, distributed mons three or
four men whose farms adjoin, the ex-
pense is not very great to any one or
them, and by exchanging labor, the
machinery may be made available
whenever eed
The common practice in the corn
belt States is to use three horses on
a corn-harvester, two men to load the
wagons in the field. three men with
teams to haul corn to the cutter, one
man to run the engine (only when
steam power is used, however,, one
man to feed the cutter, and one man
to spread and tramp the Silage in the
silO. This makes a crew of eight or
nine men exclusive of the man who
attends to the engine.
Much depends upon good manage
ment; as, after all, like most other
kinds of work, the nan behind the
job is responsible for the greater or
lesser cost.
| II he has his working force evenly
balanced SO that everybody is work
ing all of the time and at top speed,
the work will be lone cheaply, but If
there is too much fuss and "hurrah
boys" too much talking of politics,
loaing On the shady side of the barn,
or poking along with the teams to
and from the fields, the cost will be
naturally very much increased.
It should be always the aim not to
keep too many men in the field for
the number at the cutter, or the other
way Sometimes are crew is
too large for the size Of the cutter,
n men n teams with loaded
wagons are waiting their turn. These
all cut considerable figure in the cost.
In these days of scarce labor and
high prices, farm machinery Of all
kinds must be used whenever posi-
bic. The corn-binder has come to
be a very important factor in the
harvesting Of the crop. Most farm
ers who own silos also own their own
harvesters. Corn-binders do not save
much money, but they do ave time,
because it takes twice as long to I'M
load the same quantity of corn when
loose as when in indie
ONE are so careless as not
to supply Irvine for their harvesters
and the cost Of labor is much more
than offset by the saving of this small,
item.
A low-wheeled truck is best fol
hauling corn, because it is easier tt
load. They are also very useful FOL
general hauling about the farm, an6
should not be counted as an extra
expense when figuring c~orn-harvest
ing machinery.
We do not know Of any harder jOt
on the farm than Juggling and liftins
heavy green corn. It requires con
siderable skill in addition to strength
in order to do the work with anything
like ease and facility, and every prac.
tee that can be adopted to lessen tn.
work should be put into execution
The cutter should be low enough 81
that the corn may be dropped upol
it instead of being lifted up to It.
: Some Of the best silage-cutters OIL
! the market now are self-feeding am
will eat up the corn as fast as tw,
I men can pitch it on to the table.
I In a silo more than SO feet in deptl
it is not necessary to have a maj
. lamp the cut corn. If the surface i
5 leveled w or three times a day Will
! filing the Stage will pack sufficiently
= to keep, but our experience is that i
: is better to keep the corr level al
$ he time, n unless the end Of tn
blower tube is f1exibIe so that tn
Q silage can be distributed evenly. it i
best to have a man with a fork q,
r the inside.
Silage can be elevated into the sill
by the slap elevator, and this take
e much less power than a blower. bu
there is no doubt that the use OF tn
e blower will reduce the cost.
n AZ TO CfpV~rON x,puCrC