1871] 



NEW ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



511 



results. As this is the first year of using phos- 

 phate I would like to inquire of those who have 

 used Bradley's for several years, what ctRct it 

 has upon the soil or upon the crops, in subsequent 

 years. Josiah Maestox. 



East Medtoay, Mass., Aug. 1871. 



Fo?- t?te New England Farmer. 

 HARVESTING COKN". 



I wish to thank W. H. Y. of Connecticut, 

 for his excellent article on "What is the best 

 method of harvesting corn," published in the 

 Farmer June 24th. He is right, according 

 to my experience. Though I have never 

 made such careful experiments as he has 

 given, yet I believe every word of his state- 

 ments, having tried the method of cutting up 

 while the corn was quite green, and setting it 

 up in the held. I should like to have him 

 give his mode of operations, so that if it is 

 better than my own way, I can try it. 



Here is my way of doing it, and a descrip- 

 tion of some of the tools to work with. We 

 have what is called a horse, made as follows : 

 take a light stick of timber, eleven feet long, 

 two and one-half inches square, or, if round, 

 three inches at the large end, and two inches 

 at the other. Three and one-half feet from 

 the largest end put in two legs two and one- 

 half feet long. These must stand bracing 

 each other, their feet about eighteen inches 

 apart, and stand perpendicular when the small 

 end of the horse is on the ground. Next, 

 bore an inch hole through the neck of the 

 horse, half ,way between the legs and large 

 end so that a stick three feet long put through 

 it will be horizontal with the surface of the 

 ground. This stick must slip easily in the 

 hole. Then on the top of the horse, and back 

 of the legs, insert two small sticks about fifteen 

 inches long, and spreading at the top to each 

 side one foot ; also insert two others similar 

 to these, two feet behind them, these form 

 the saddle to lay the bands into. 



For bands, we use fodder corn that is of 

 the right length, well wilted ; a bundle of this 

 is fastened into the saddle of the horse. 

 Now two men or boys with each a good corn 

 cutter, take their horse, set it between the 

 rows, so that each man can cut two rows 

 and set the corn into the comers formed by 

 the stick in the horse's neck as evenly as 

 possible, and slanting enough to have it stand 

 strong ; cut twenty or twenty-five hills, ac- 

 cording to the weight of the corn, that the 

 shooks may not be too heavy to handle when 

 dry. Then let one man take two or three 

 stalks of the binders and bind the shook as 

 close to the horse''s back as he can, and the 

 other man take a band, bend over the tops of the 

 stalks and bind tight ; then one man pulls out 

 the stick from the horse's neck, the other man 

 takes the horse and backs it out, carries it 

 forward, sets it in its place for another shook ; 

 the other puts in his stick, and both are ready 

 to cut again. After a little practice, the men 



will cut. set up, and bind afield of corn nearly 

 as quick as they would cut, bind, carry out, 

 and set up the top stalks, and do it without 

 breaking down and wasting the corn. After 

 standing two weeks, the corn can be husked 

 if the fodder is wanted for immediate use, 

 otherwise it had better stand until the cobs 

 are somewhat dried. 



To get in the corn to husk, take a short 

 cart, with four stakes four feet long, and a 

 boy to load ; drive between two rows of 

 shooks, and with a fork take each shook, 

 between the bands, and place around the cart, 

 with the buts out. Back into the barn fioor, 

 pull out the stakes, and tip u]) the cart. In 

 this way you can get in a load or two in a few 

 minutes, if you see a shower or storm ap- 

 proaching. 



Last year we cut and set up our corn the 

 first and second days of September, while 

 looking quite green, but on opening the husks 

 the corn was found to be well glazed. Treated 

 in this way, the fodder is as much better than 

 when harvested by the old way, as the top 

 stalks are better than the buts after standing 

 through bleaching storms and frosts, as is the 

 old practice. It is excellent for cows giving 

 milk in the fall or spring ; and if you have 

 ! pumpkins or turnips growing among the corn 

 it gives them a better chance, and W. H. Y. 

 has proved by thorough trial, that the corn 

 itself is better every way, and I am satisfied 

 that it is heavier and sweeter. 



C. E. IvlMBALL. 



Dudley, Mass., Aug., 1871. 



How THE Horses were Stopped. — A 

 frightful disaster was recently averted in Eng- 

 land by the good sense and bravery of a 

 Cornish farmer. The horses of a stage coach 

 had become unruly, and dragged the reins 

 from the frightened driver, when the farmer, 

 who was inside, forced himself upon the back 

 of the shaft-horse, and thence to the leader. 

 By patting and caressing, he guided the terri- 

 fied beasts down a steep, mountainous road, 

 through the narrow streets of a crowded vil- 

 lage, and finally brought them safe to a halt 

 in the open country, after a mad drive of 

 eight or ten miles. Commenting on the far- 

 mer's method, and the award of a medal for the 

 act, a London paper says : "It was odd that 

 it should have required the visit of an Ohio 

 farmer, some years ago, to make so elemen- 

 tary a truth clear, but in fact Earey gave the 

 truth a practical application. Horses, though 

 docile and gentle, are timid and nervous ; 

 noise and violence will only aggravate their 

 terror if once roused ; but they can be soothed 

 if a man has the sense and temper to go about 

 his task in the right way. Earey was an 

 apostle of the truest humanity, and it is only 

 to be regretted that much of his teaching fell 

 on so stony and ungenial soil as the coarse 

 nature of English hinds and carmen." 



