36 



cents, as already given. It may, therefore, be concluded as a o:eneral 

 proposition that unless this number of acres is availal)le for cuttinjj; 

 each year, the investment in a corn binder is not j^rofitable. 



These estimates may not be exactly fair, because if the corn binder 

 cuts l)ut 20 acres per year, the life of the machine would probably be 

 considerably longer than eight years. This would in a large measure 

 depend upon the care the machine received. If left outdoors the 

 wear and tear on the machine when not in use would l)e more than 

 when used. However, with proper care it would last longer, and 

 there is no doubt that in general half the money which our farmers 

 spend for implements could be saved if they gave their implements 

 better care when in use, and when not in use protected them in an 

 implement shed from wind, rain, sunshine, and farm animals. 



In the same way we may determine when it is advisable to use a 

 corn picker. The price of these machines ranges from $200 to $325, 

 but if we take $250 as the average price and the average life of the 

 macliine and acreage cut as previously noted, the cost per year for 

 the use of the machine would be $30.59, and interest on the invest- 

 ment would be $15. To this should be added about $5 per year for 

 repairs, or a total of $50.59 per year for the use of the machme. In 

 order to make this machine a profitable investment it should husk 

 at least 87 acres of corn each season. Circumstances may alter cases 

 and different conditions change the problem, but in general it is 

 better not to invest in expensive implements unless there is sufficient 

 work in sight to make them profitable, 



CUTTING AND SHREDDING MACHINES. 



The corn picker should be considered as a temporary machine for 

 emergency use only until such a time as the American farmers will 

 be able to utilize all of the food products grown on their farms. In 

 many instances the great increase in the value of land has brought 

 the farmers to realize that unless more scientific methods of agri- 

 culture are adopted and the wastes from the farms stopt, they are 

 not going to realize proper interest on their investments in their farm 

 land and equipment. 



One of the serious wastes on the farm in the past has been the 

 neglect of the use of the cornstalks. Thru the efforts of experiment 

 stations the losses from this source have been determined and tlieir 

 enormity pointed out to the farmers. The best method of reducing 

 these losses to a minimum has been found to be tliru the use of the 

 silo. It is not within the sphere of this bulletin to go into the details 

 of the advantages of silos or of their methods of construction, but to 

 describe some of the machines used in the preparation of the corn- 

 stalks for the silo. 



