HARVESTING AND STORAGE 475 



" The corn picker is intended to remove the ears from the CHAP, 

 stalks, which are left in the field. Most of the machines are XL 

 built on the assumption that the stalks are valueless, and 

 therefore they are practically destroyed. It has not been 

 possible to construct a picker that will not to some extent 

 break down or tear down the stalks. This is somewhat 

 objectionable because, where the corn is picked by hand, the 

 dried corn leaves and stalks serve as roughage for cattle during 

 the fall and winter. The machine has, however, this advant- 

 age, that the field can be picked more quickly and the cattle 

 turned in earlier to make use of the roughage before the snow 

 falls. 



" Another objectionable feature of the corn picker as com- 

 pared with the hand method of picking corn is that it shells 

 considerable corn ; and, if the corn is lodged and tangled, 

 more or less ears are missed by the machine. The corn 

 picker with the husker attachment requires considerable 

 motive power, at least four horses being required to pull it. 

 For this reason some manufacturers have dispensed with the 

 husking attachment and depend upon the snapping rollers 

 for removing most of the husks. Machines of this kind will 

 remove from 25 to 75 per cent of the husks, depending upon 

 the stage of maturity of the corn, the brittleness of the stalks 

 and the effects of freezing and damp weather. Where 

 machines without the husker attachment are used, a stationary 

 husker may be provided at the crib, in which the corn is 

 husked and elevated into the corn-crib. 



" There is a variance of opinion among farmers as to the 

 advisability of husking the ears clean. In the South the 

 common practice is to leave the husks on the ears, and it is 

 claimed that this practice tends to prevent injury by insects. 

 In the North it is the common practice to husk the ears clean 

 before they are cribbed. The objections offered, in reply to 

 inquiries, to using a corn picker which leaves the husks on the 

 ears, are : that more crib room is required for the ears ; that 

 they will serve to attract and harbour rats and mice ; that the 

 ears will not dry out, but will be liable to mould ; that the 

 husks interfere with the shelling ; that, while for feeding 

 cattle and hogs the husks will be advantageous, as they will 

 serve as a roughage, horses will toss the ears in trying to 

 remove the husks, and thus lose ear and all. For selling 

 purposes the corn needs to be husked clean in order to 

 command the best market price." 



