256 FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



ears and leaving the leaves and stalks to be subsequently 

 pastured or to be plowed into the soil, is highly commend- 

 able. The ears may be husked directly from the standing 

 stalks and thrown into a wagon at the same operation. 

 A "throwboard" about 30 inches high should be put on 

 the wagon-box on the side opposite the husker. This 



FIG. 40. Corn harvesting tools: 1, corn hook; 2 and 3, corn knives; 

 4, a sled cutter; 5, cutter having wheels substituted for the runners 

 and equipped with a seat. 



is the method most generally used throughout the corn- 

 belt states. 



310. Hand methods of cutting corn. When cutting 

 and shocking is resorted to in the cotton-belt the cutting 

 is usually done by hand. Various types of hand cutters 

 are used. The short-handled hoe probably came into 

 use first. Later various types of corn knives and corn 

 " hooks" were used. Some of these simple devices are 

 shown in Fig. 40. Where the area to cut does not exceed 

 twenty acres or where the corn is very tall, hand-cutting 



