FARM MACHINERY AND IMPLEMENTS 731 



shells most easily when the temperature is below freezing, especially if 

 inclined to be damp. 



Silage Cutters. — A silo may now be found on nearly every dairy 

 farm; consequently, silage cutters are in much demand and have been 

 greatly improved in recent years. The essential parts of the silage cutter 

 are the feeding table, provided with an endless apron which feeds the 

 corn into the cutting apparatus, the cutter head and the elevator. There 

 are two types of cutter heads: one with radial knives fastened directly 

 to the flywheel; the other with spiral knives fastened to a shaft. The 

 modern elevator consists of a tight metal tube, through which a blast 

 of air is driven by a fan. This blows the cut corn to the top of the silo, 

 frequently having an elevation of 40 or more feet. It is a good plan to 

 have a movable cylinder, either of metal or canvas to descend in the silo 

 nearly to the surface of the filled portion. A man in the silo can move 

 this to any point, thus keeping the surface level and avoiding a separation 

 of the lighter and heavier portions. This not only saves labor, but pro- 

 vides for uniform settling of the silage. 



The cutter knives should be kept sharp and be carefully adjusted 

 so as to have a close shearing effect. If they are too loose, the material 

 will be broken instead of cut, thus requiring more power. If the knives 

 press against the ledger plate with too much force, there is undue friction 

 and wearing of the knives. 



The cut corn leaves the silage cutter coated with juice, and acids 

 frequently are developed, thus causing rapid erosion and rusting of all 

 metal parts. It is, therefore, advised to run a few forkfuls of hay or 

 straw through the cutter to remove this material, thus leaving it in a 

 dry condition. 



Manure Spreader. — A manure spreader should find a place on eveiy 

 farm where there are 100 loads of manure to spread annually. It not 

 only reduces the work of spreading the manure, but spreads it more evenly 

 and with more rapidity than can be done by hand. Careful experiments 

 show that light applications of manure for general farm crops bring better 

 returns per unit of manure than heavier applications. Manure spreaders 

 make the manure cover more land, thus increasing the returns. 



The essentials of a good manure spreader are strength, ample capacity 

 and an apron that will not clog or stick, together with a beater that will 

 spread the manure evenly. The machine should be capable of adjustment 

 so that any desired amount may be applied. The gearing should be cov- 

 ered so as to protect it from the manure. Spreaders are of heavy draft, 

 and may be provided with shafts so that three horses may be used. 



It saves time to have the spreader so placed that the manure carrier 

 may be dumped directly into it. When filled, it may be hauled to the 

 field, the manure spread and the spreader returned for refilling. Good 

 farmers find it economy to provide a cement floor, slightly hollowed in 

 the center, on which the spreader stands. This saves the liquid which 



