[AT] Corn Binding/Hay

Herbert Metz metz-h.b at mindspring.com
Fri Oct 12 02:24:55 PDT 2007


John
We had a horse drawn one row corn binder (pulled by team of mules).  The
only things I remember about the binder or the shocking is loading the
shocks in the middle of winter.    Shocks are a natural home for the few
field mice, and occasionally there would be a larger animal who would try
to dig the mouse out.    The resultant dirt pile would freeze and embed
several corn stalks.    Trying to free the stalks was difficult for a kid. 
This was infrequent enough that we seldom remembered to bring along an axe.
Although the livestock would be hungry, they would frequently leave the
bottom half ot the cornstock.
A year or two later we added a 14' x 40' silo at which time the corn binder
was pulled down into the trees.
You have a very good antique engine club; do not know about any FFA or
historical minded group?    It may be a long shot, but there might be some
interest from others in participating in the binding and shocking.  
Depends in part on how much publicity the local paper may provide.  
Barbara and I participated in your clubs 1995 (?) show, when AC was
featured.   Several steam engine owners took turns pulling a five (?)
bottom plow along State Road 23, on a Saturday afternoon.   People driving
by would see the tractor plow combination, and would pull over to further
observe.  The highway roadside became a temporary parking lot.   Herb

>
> Hay here in east central Illinois is a little tight this year.  I have
about half of what I normally would put up in the barn, and probably won't
get another cutting this year.  To make up the short fall, I thought I
might cut a couple of acres of corn to feed.  I don't have a binder (which
would be nice) but plan on bundling and tying by hand.  Does anyone know
how many stalk typically went into a bundle tied by a binder.  I'll
probably haul some of the bundles to the barn, and try my hand at shocking
the rest.  There is probably  a trick to keep the shocks from blowing over
as previous attempts didn't work quite as nicely as I had hoped.  A corn
knife instead of a tractor and binder limits how much I can do, but
probably good exercise!!
> Thanks
> John Bukowski
> Potomac, IL





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