VOL. LVII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., JULY 19, 1902.
GIVE   EXPERIENCE   WITH CORN  HARVEST-
ERS AND CORN SHREDDERS.
SHOULD THEY BE GENERALLY USED?
Corn is King and Fodder is Queen of the Field,
1st   Premium.—There   is   uo   one   factor
which  is  presenting  itself  to the  farmers
nf Indiana which is of so vital importance,
(and too many are overlooking) anil whieh
we believe will do more towards revolu-
tionalizing the feeding value of the corn
plant, than the utilizing of the corn stalks
and leaves. Think of 37 per cent of the
actual feeding value of the corn crop going
In waste, for we virtually lose that much
by allowing onr corn stalks to stand iir tin*
held, besides llie damage done to our suil
by pasturing them. Our experiment ita
linns tell us that the corn husks contain
7- per cent digestible matter, the blades
lit per eent and the stalks 55 per cent, and
also say that there is more digestible matter in the corn fodder from one acre of
corn, than from the ears from oue acre.
At 40 cents per bushel the corn crop of
tnd taaa amounts to over GO million and this
represent* not quite three-fourths of the
feeding value; thus the farmers are losing
over 120,000,000 each year, which is saved
by saving the fodder. How shall we save
our corn stalks, so we can get the greatest
g 1 from them, the best and the cheapest
met hod of doing this is what we all desire to know. We will try to show that
it pays Io cut our coru, and give our plan
of doing it also. First the cutting. We
think the harvester is the cheapest
method, and will show why. To have an
acre of corn cut by hand will cost at
least 7 cents per shock or §1.30, and enough
twine to tie tlje shocks will eost about 25
iints or $1.55 per acre, while if we use
a corn* harvester it will require about 25
cents worth of twine per acre to bind it,
and about 20 cents for twine to tie the
shocks, and ordinarily seven acres will be
a fair day's cutting (although 8 aud 10
acres are cut) and counting $2 per day
for man and team, or about 30 cents per
acre, aud two men at $1.25 each, or 35
cents per acre, to shock it, making a total
of $1.10 per acre, making a balance of 42
cents per acre in favor of the machine,
and if the fodder is fed in the stalk wc
should tie the loose fodder into bundles
il will require almost as much twine as the
machine will take or au additional cost of
at least 20 cents per acre for the hand
< utting.
* • • • •
But we will meet with some obstacle*
in cutting the corn with a harvester and
in shredding. In the first place the removal of the fodder is detrimental to a
certain extent, especially if the sun is very
warm just after it is cut, as it "sunburns" the ground, and we are told it is
injurious to it, but this may be overcome
by sowing some "catch crop," as rye, rape,
crimson clover, etc., and besides being a
protection to the land gives pasture when
grass is short and is also a benefit to "the
soil, second, some corn is knocked off,
perhaps two or three bushels per acre, but
as most farmers need some corn by this
time in the year it may he gathered up and
mixed with old corn, thus giving the pigs
a more rapid growth by this new addition. Again in shredding Ihe fodder it
must be dry wheu shredded and "cured,"
or it will heat and mold, and it will be
damaged as a feed to a certain extent; although stocks will eat it. The farmer
who succeeds liest saves all he raises and
utilizes il. We predict that the day is
daw ning when every straw of grain, raised
and every corn stalk will be transformed
tut ii .something tbat will benefit the old
farm. L. A. S.
Warren < '**.
Cuts Tangled Corn.
2d Premium.—There has been a number
nl' corn harvesters in use iir this locality
for the past two years. My own experience, as that ut' others, with whom I have
discussed the matter, is not very favorable to the corn harvester. That it will
do the work there is no doubt, but doing
it  satisfactory   and   well   is   the  real  ques
tion.     In the fall of '99 I had 15 acres of   the day our company finished we were able
With the exception of the engineer and
une feeder, members of the company, with
their teams made force enough to run
under all ordinary conditions. Our power
cost, us $3 per day, the company furnishing oil, water and fuel; feeder, $1.25. The
advantages of the company plan, besides
being much cheaper, is that the same crew
gm*s throngh the season, the men get ac-
conitomed to working together, to the advantage of all, each one knowing exactly
what he has lo do; the teams get used
In Hie steam and the shredder, and every-
thing moves <>rr smoothly and systematically, a condition not attainable if teams and
hands are changing every day or two. On
THK FARMER'S TURN.
-From Indianapolis Journal, Thursday, July 10.
down and badly tangled corn cut with a
binder, ami it was a real surprise how it
would pick up and bind this tangled corn;
once in its clutches it was bound to go
through and drop out iu the bundle, yet
the objections were so many that I decided not to employ a binder any more,
provided I could have the work done by
hand. As to expenses of harvester and
hand cutting there is not enough difference
to speak of. As to shocking successfully
and curing quickly hand cutting has the
advantage. As to after handling the advantages are about equal. The great
objection to the harvester is that it knocks
off so much corn. It don't appear that
it is to come into general favor, only as
a matter of necessity, in fact it appears
somewhat contrary to nature to bind corn
in a bundle like wheat or oats. Corn
shredders have been in use in this part" of
the country for six or eight years, but not
till last year did they come into anything
like general use. That being a year of
short crops and scarcity of feed farmers
sought to make the most of the corn crop
by cutting and shredding. I know of five
being bought in one township. Some were
bought by individuals and run same as
threshers,   others   by   companies. The
results have been very satisfactory all
round so far as I bave been able to ascertain. For the average farmer who
wishes t.i make Ihe work of himself and
team go as far as possible in saving his
erop, the company plan is by far the more
desirable. In iny own experience six
neighbors formed a company and bought a
shredder,   each   being   an   equal   partner.
to accomplish at least a third more in a
day than when we commenced, showing
the decided advantage of all hands training together. After feeding out our crop
of shredded fodder each man of our company is well satisfied with bis investment
and this seems to be the general verdict
of everybody who had corn shredded last
year. There is no doubt but the corn
shredder is a great advantage to the average Indiana farmer, and each succeeding
year more of them will be used. Our
shredder is furnished with a safety lever
for the feeder's protection, and not the
slightest accident occurred during the entire season; yet, you don't want to thrust
your hands iuto the thing to see if the
wheels are going, while it is running.
Roachdale. F. G. A.
Great Saving in Feed.
3d Pemium.—Corn harvesters and shredders are among the most useful of modern machines for the corn belt. With their
aid the entire corn crop can be harvested
in a most satisfactory way. From the
work of the experiment stations we learn
that 03 per cent of the digestible part of
the corn crop is found in the ears while
37 per cent is found in the stover. Thus
we lose over one-third of the corn crop
when we do nut use the stalks. Such
valuable rough feed should be used on
every farm, to as great an extent as possible. If we need the corn harvester then
let us have it, but I consider it not an
absolute necessity. My experience with
il shows that it is not yet a perfect machine, as it knocks off too many ears and
the cost is but little less. They are a
very practical machine when used in fill-
hrg a silo. The corn ean be handled with
so much more ease when tied in small
bundles. The shredding of corn fodder
lints the stover iu shape for stable feeding
and Ihe refuse can be used for bedding.
1 think this machine should be used more
by Ihe average farmer, especially when
he is in need of hay. Shredded stover is
good roughage for horses, cattle and sheep.
Iir fact the farmer need not put up any
hay if he has plenty of corn stover
shredded. With my experience of these
machines I consider that they should be
more generally used by the average
farmer, especially should the latter be
ii sc.l. Let us try to take better care of
what we have and not try to farm so much
that we allow one-third of (he crop to go
i.i waste. J. H. B.
Mingh-wood Farm.
To Prevent Molding.
We have used shredded fodder for two
winters and have been highly pleased with
the results. Both times we had a day's
shredding done, whieh made our barn full
enough to feed our stock and three or four
Inns to sell to the city people. Last year
we shredded too early in the season; in
tact, most of our neighbors did the same,
and the fodder molded to some extent. It
should not be put up too soon, before the
sap is out of the stalks. But perhaps
the tramping of the fodder hay something
to do with it, as it was all'we could do
to put it all in the barn, and it was run
over pretty thoroughly.
Fodder that is shredded goes a great
deal further, and the stock get more good
out of the feed; besides the manure can be
taken out a third easier than where the
fodder has not been shredded. It can
also be stored away in a little while, and
in a small space, while it is out of the
weather in the dry, where you can get it
when needed. I think the shredder should
be used more extensively. We have never
used the corn harvester, but from the experience of other people near here I would
not use one. One of the worse objections
is that it ties the bundles too tight and
causes the fodder to mold. When cut by
hand it is not put up in tied bunches, but
is stood up loose. I would rather have
hand cut fodder to unload to a machine,
as the bundles bother. They will do
where the corn* is very light and short,
but not in heavy corn.
C. B.
Premiums of $1, 75 cents and 50 cents
are given for the first, second and third
best articles for the Experience Department each week. Manuscript should be
sent direct to the Indiana Farmer Company and should reach us one week before
date of publication.
Topics for discussion in future numbers
of the Farmer are as follows:
No. 333, July 26.—Give experience in
raising horses for farm use and for the
market.     What type is mostt profitable?
No. 334, Aug. 2.—Tell how to select
calves for beef qualities, and how to treat
them through fall and winter.
No. 335, Aug. 9.—Discuss the economic
value of paint. How, when and where
should it be used?
No. 330, Aug. 16.—Tell why the farmer
aud his family should attend the State
lair.
An American syndicate is said to be negotiating for the purchase of the Mexican
volcano, Popocatepetl, for the purpose of
securing its sulphur deposits.
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