The Nevada County picayune., 1918-08-22
SHOCK TIE CORN
 STALK PROMPTLY
This Is Very Important On Uplands Where Forage Is Always Big One.
By L. W. Osborn, Assistant Agrono- mist, Arkansas Experiment Station, Fayetteville, Ark.

To get tke most out of the corn crop the stalks in every cOrnfield l few weeks to prevent a shortage of forage for wintering live stock. This is very important on the uplands where the forage question is always a big one, It certainly should be done by those farmers who expect 10 feed cattle this winter and do not have silo capacity for their corn crop
 Cut at Right Time.
 If the stalks are cut when the husks are turning yellow and the ker- nels are indented, practically no re- duction in yield of grain will result Even If cutting is done when the ker- nels are not quite mature the value of saving the forage will doubtless compensate for the slight reduction in yield which occurs when cutting is done at that stage. The conditions of extreme drouth which prevail in many sections this year make the ] which :. being fired seriously by drouth had best be cut early enough to save the forage; otherwise the crop may be an entire loss.
 Use Corn Binder if Possible.
 The greateest labor-saving imple ment for harvesting corn fodder is ! ha IeYn m seven or eight acres may be cut in a day and its use is almost indspens- able when large fields of corn are 10 be harvested. Small acreages may be cut economically in the usual way with the common corn knife. For best results each shock of corn should l be large enough to stand erect in all sorts of weather A shock which is too large is likely to twist and fall and to result in molding of some of the immature ears in the center of the shock. 4 shock which is too small exposes a large part of its for age to sun and rain A shock rang ing from four 10 five feet in basal diameter is satisfactory. Begin the shock by using shocking horse, which is a three legged pyramid about four feet high, two legs of which are almost erect. the other being about eight feet long. A shock may be started by tieing together the tops of four hills Of plants which are not cut, for support. Great care must be used in equalizing the bundles on each side of the shock to prevent twisting and falling
 Before completing the shock should be tied with binder twine about three feet from the top. The shocw should first be drawn together, using three quarter inch rope with a hook or ring in the end to make a slip knot. About ten days or two weeks later when the shock is dried out and the plants have settled together, he shocks should again be tied in the same way. The corn should stand in shocks about month before it is dry enough for shrsdding.
 Don't Pull Fodder.
 Labor conditions st the present time make il less economical than before to top CT "pull CT sfrir fodder since Jhe amesns
 obtained in this way is net sufficient to pat for thc cost ef ths oH aton Al the same time the rtda u 51 yield of snelled corn due to tAe fact that the topping and pulling is done when the corn is immature makes ths practice the least dosir- able of all Cutting and shocking the entire plant perm.ts the utilization ot the entire value of both grain and forage
 Take Care of Cut and Shocked Corn
 on Time.
 Under the warm humid conditions which prevail in the cotton belt. fl is essential that corn which has been cui and shocked be taken care of within a few weeks after il has been open in the fall and winter there is a big loss in dry matter and de terioration in the quality of the for age The method of handling the corn fodder will vary according to the equipment on hand, If a shredder Is available the best plan is to shred the fodder. Shre6dng is an advant- age in many respects; the ears are removed from the stocks, shredded forage is easily handled either in the stack, in the barn or in the manure and greater amount of forage .S eaten by live stock If Shredder is not available. the fodder may be hauled in and stored under shelter or it may he ricked. out in the open, in long stacks and preferably topped out with some finer hay which will shed lain
 Ausk Corn in the Field and Avcid
 WeeVl.
 All can should be husked in the fleld and the wagon box shoYld be