47° 



MAIZE 



CHAP. 

 XI. 



443. Draught of Maize Binders. — The average draught of 

 a maize binder is about the same as that of a 6-foot wheat 

 binder. It therefore requires the same number of animals to 

 draw it, i.e. the equivalent of three good horses. Draught 

 tests made by the United States Department of Agriculture 



show the following results : 



Draught of maize binder with stubble cutter 



,, ,, ,, without stubble cutter 



Draught of stubble cutter .... 



Lbs. 



437 

 420 



17 



444. Shocking Maize. — When the maize is cut before the 

 stalks are dry, it must be put up in shocks (Fig. 175) in the 



Fig. 175. — Shocking maize in America. 



field, to allow it to cure properly. In the United States the 

 shocks vary in size from 36 hills to the shock, i.e. collected 

 from an area 6 hills square with check-rowed maize, to 256 hills 

 from an area 16 hills square; but a common size is 144 hills 

 or 12 hills square, which at a minimum of 2 stalks to the hill 

 is at least 288 stalks. The smaller-sized shocks are common 

 in the North Atlantic States, where it is found more difficult 

 to properly cure the stover if the shocks are larger. In the 

 North Central States 10 and 12 hill shocks are common: 10 

 x 10 hills of check-rowed maize would be equivalent to about 

 30 feet of continuous row-planting, for 10 rows, or 30 square 

 feet if the rows are 3 feet apart. 



