320 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



from November until the following July, indicated a loss in that respect of about eighteen 

 per cent. 



The farmer who makes an early sale of his corn will consequently have larger weight 

 and bulk of this grain at that time than at a later period, while those who store their grain 

 for later sale should govern their prices accordingly. 



The influence of moist and dry weather is also very great in determining the weight of 

 corn. During those seasons when severe drouths are experienced, the corn in the ear will 

 frequently be found more dry by the middle or last of September than it is in moist seasons by 

 the early part of winter. It was found by careful experiment after a certain moist autumn, 

 that corn which was weighed in the ear on the first of January had lost twenty per cent., or 

 one-fifth of its weight, by the following October. Under such circumstances, old corn at a 

 dollar per bushel would have been cheaper to the purchaser than the new at the rate of 

 eighty cents per bushel. 



The proportion of weight that the cob bears to the grain will generally average about 

 one-eighth. Corn stover, or the corn-plant after the ripening and removal of the grain, 

 should be put under cover as early as possible, for if allowed to stand in the field exposed to 

 the rains, much of the nutriment will be washed out. Its value for feeding stock is estimated 

 to be about half that of good hay. 



When corn is husked by hand, much time and labor may be saved by providing the 

 best facilities for performing the work. A husking-bench or rack will be found a great con 

 venience, and is easily and cheaply constructed. This may be done by the use of two small 

 benches, or horses, for supports at either end of the rack, which are connected by means of 

 two pieces of wood about two by three inches, and ten or twelve feet long. Small cross- 

 boards laid across at the ends will serve as seats for the huskers, which can be moved up or 

 back as desired. The boards for seats should have cleats on the under side, so as to admit of 

 their being moved forward or backward without dropping. 



When enough stalks are husked to form a bundle, they may be bound without the 

 huskers leaving their seats, and thrown one side. The long pieces that form the sides of the 

 rack should be two feet or a little more apart, and fully two feet high, or rather the benches 

 at the ends should be this height; if lower than this, they are not as easy to rise from. This 

 rack may be used in the field, and may be easily carried from one shock to another by two 

 men, one at each end to take hold of the projecting ends, and for this reason it should be 

 made as light as consistent with the strength necessary for the support required of it. It is 

 stated by those using a husking-rack of this kind, that its convenience is such that an 

 ordinary workman will husk one-fourth more in a day than when he is compelled to reach 

 down, while standing, for every ear of corn that he husks, or if he is compelled to take any 

 position on the ground to get at his work. 



Shelling and Grinding Corn. Corn should not be shelled until well dried. 

 Machines for performing this work are needed on all farms where corn is cultivated to any 

 extent. For small farms the hand-machine will answer all purposes, but for large farms, 

 where great quantities of grain are used, either steam, wind, or horse-power may be utilized; 

 this can be easily done where a farm-engine or wind-mill are in requisition for farm use, 

 while every farmer has horse-power at his command. With these machines, the farmer can 

 shell his corn at such times as is most convenient for him without extra expense or assistance, 

 as this can be performed when other work is not pressing. 



There are various shellers in common use; the best not only separate the cobs from the 

 shelled grain, but are supplied with a fan that blows all the dust and chaff out of the corn, 

 making it perfectly clean. 



There are also machines that will shell the corn clean, either with the husks on or after 

 they have been taken off, which save the labor of husking, and prove quite valuable in large 

 corn -growing sections. 



