40 



The early colonists did not remove the husks from the ears immedi- 

 ately upon bringing the corn from the fields. The}' usually snapt 

 the ears from the stalks without removing the husks. They held 

 that it was better to allow the husks to remain on the ears for pro- 

 tection against frost and moisture. Later in the season the crops were 

 often husked b}" husking parties assembled at the various farms in their 

 respective communities during the autumn days and early evenings; 

 and their work was always followed by some form of merrymaking, 

 as a dance or a "play party," which often extended into the early 

 morning hours. The corn was stored in high cribs erected at con- 

 venient points near the other farm buildings. 



EARLIER MECHANICAL HUSKERS. 



The first patent on a corn busker was issued in 1837. The machine 

 comprises essentially a pair of roughened parallel rollers designed to 

 tear off the husks. This machine represents one of the earliest 

 attempts to utilize machinery for preparing the corn crop for the 

 market. It assumes that the ear shall be plucked from the stalks 

 by hand. 



In 1866 a New York concern began the manufacture of a busker 

 having a single snapping roll made of hardwood. Another roller set 

 with stiff knives located just behind the hardwood roller, cut the 

 stalk into short lengths. The ears of corn as they were broken off 

 by the snapping roll fell down upon the husking rolls. These were 

 aijout 2 inches in diameter and rotated toward each other. A small 

 revolving shaft set with spikes and located directly above the line of 

 contact of the husking rolls, caused the ears to revolve so as to 

 present all of the husks to the action of the husking machine. 



Another form of busker consisted of a snapping roll nnich the same 

 as that described above, and several husking -rolls whose effective- 

 ness depended upon the action of rubber aprons. These past over 

 each roller like belts over- a pulley, and tended to draw the husks in 

 with them. Later, about 1880, the Phillips and Jones machines 

 added to this idea by putting on a pair of snapping rolls. These 

 were the first really successful buskers. 



COMBINED HUSKERS AND SHREDDERS. 



Thus far no machine had been ])roduced designed to perform more 

 than one operation on the stalks, except some of the unsuccessful 

 and later experimental harvester types designed to pick and husk 

 the ears, as previously described. Between 1880 and 1890 a great 

 deal of attention was given to thrashing corn. This practise so bat- 

 tered the stalk as to make every part of it available as a cattle food. 

 Fodder cutters had been in use for many years, yet this method of 

 preparing corn fodder left the fibrous part of the stalk in a tough, 



