In due time the new cutter head and the parts for the husker
came and were installed. Everything worked out fine. We covered the
shaker with light sheet steel so that everything except the good
ears would go through into the blower, the shelled corn cleaning
fan and bagger were not needed. The blower pipe was reduced from 10
inches to 8 inches by tapered joint at the blower, and 8 inches on
blow the fodder over the top into the silo.
The only trouble this ever caused was when a stray cornstalk
would get lodged in the pipe, and this did not happen often.
The Illinois College of Agriculture had run some tests on dry
fodder silage so we got their advice which, in a nut shell, was to
use a pound of water to a pound of fodder. The resulting silage was
better than dry fodder but not as good as regular silage.
We used a ‘ garden hose under 40 lb. pressure from our water
system to deliver the water into the top elbow and on into the
funnel, which was mounted big end down, bell effect; keeping all
water out of the riser pipe. By an attached rope we kept the funnel
delivering to the center of the silo. Under this set-up you can
husk corn as soon as the ears are ready to crib and as long as you
can get in and out of the field. No waiting for the fodder to
dry!
We never allowed the silo to seal, but started feeding as much
as the cows and livestock would clean up. We had all the feed we
could handle.
We followed this method until the late 20’s when we went
over to green corn silage which we found better for increased milk
production.
When corn-binders and huskers and shredders were first sold
around here, farmers just couldn’t wait until the corn was ripe
to try their new binders, with the result that a lot of corn molded
in the shock. Shredding this was asking for trouble — but, of
course, everything was blamed on the machinery.
