l6o FARM MACHINERY 



devised by the early inventors for the handling of the 

 corn crop, but it was not presented to the public until 

 after the introduction of the corn harvester or binder. It 

 resembles the corn harvester in the construction of the 

 dividers and the cutting mechanism. Fig. 119 illustrates 

 the modern corn shocker. To the rear of the dividers a 

 rotating table is placed with a center post. The corn is 

 guided by fingers and angle irons to the center of the 

 table. As additional stalks are cut they are added to the 

 outside until a shock of proper size is formed. The 

 machine is stopped and the shock tied with twine. By 

 the aid of a windlass and crane the shock is lifted bodily 

 from the table and dropped to the ground. When the 

 tension on the lifting rope is slacked the arms which en- 

 abled the shock to be lifted are released by pawls, so they 

 no longer remain in a horizontal position, but turn down 

 as the center post is drawn from the shock. 



The capacity of the corn shocker is only about one-half 

 that of the corn harvester. It has the disadvantage that 

 only small shocks can be made, which do not stand well 

 and blow down easily. Another objection to its use is 

 that the corn is more difficult to handle than when bound 

 into bundles. There is, however, a saving of twine, and 

 the work involved is not so laborious as that of shocking 

 corn bundles by hand. 



224. Loading devices. The past few years have wit- 

 nessed the introduction of several devices for loading 

 corn fodder, hay, manure, etc. The machine usually con- 

 sists of a crane or derrick with a horse lift by which a 

 fork large enough to handle an entire shock is brought 

 into action. 



225. Corn pickers. There have been many attempts to 

 make a corn picker which would pick the ears from the 

 standing stalk. For many years these attempts resulted 



