We read a great deal in the Album about “Whistle
language,” “stack talk,” and the nasal benefits of hot
cylinder oil–all of which are truly enjoyable and a wonderful part
of the meets and of fond memories. I suppose I enjoy these fringe
benefits as well as the next man and have enjoyed them from my
youth, since some of my Father’s 55 years as a thresherman were
history by the time I was born. There is, however, a little
mentioned side of our hobby in which I take deep satisfaction and
about which I am moved to write.
On our farm, we have threshed wheat and oats and shredded corn
regularly for these last 18 years, for the following very good
reasons above and beyond the fun our guests and we have had. We
fill the barn with oat straw to get good bedding–without mowing,
raking and baling and without having to shake bales–and for the
chaff. This winter our cattle have eaten all the chaff which is
swept into tight mangers over grain. Our vet points out that this
fills a natural craving which prompts cattle and sheep to take a
straw stack apart in late winter searching for the chaff. He is of
the opinion that sugar deficiency in cattle came with the combine.
How many can recall that the way to fill a mow with straw is to
turn the blower-hood upside down and bank it right off the roof.
This fall we set the corn shredder four times to run 30 – 50 shocks
at a time. While this was done to accommodate various groups of
guests, it had a few other benefits. For one thing, fodder
shredded, admittedly green, in late October, had time to cure and
dry before more was added. We fed it all out by February, as green
and nice as at the beginning.
Then too, with one or two loads of ear corn from each setting we
were able to grind, mix, and feed each load, the only handling by
hand being to scoop the ground corn into the feed bunks. It was
January before we had to go to the crib for additional corn. There are few who remember and
probably fewer who care how much more interest a manure spreader
takes in its work when part or all of the bedding is shredded
fodder. It is my opinion that we get twice the value from a given
field of corn properly fed from a shredder as compared with
shelling and leaving a mess on the field.
Very few young farmers today are willing to step out of line
enough to consider what can be done with threshers and shredders,
costing very little. Our ball-bearing, steel shredder came from a
junk yard. Since I have reached the so-called Harvest years, I can
say with some conviction that it is a lot more fun to travel than
to stay at home, to keep the man at the bank in a good humor.
We use steam a little and the oil pull somewhat more, for
convenience. But either way our work provides a good show. Fans and
prony brakes are fine. I don’t know how we could have meets
without them, but when a sheaf goes in crossways or someone lets a
whole armful hit the shredder, it wakes up an engine–right now!
These are the delights of the moment and are to be enjoyed the more
when you realize that there are other benefits which last around
the year.
