My grandfather used to plant the field corners square. The picker couldn't follow that corner. It wasn't acceptable to run any over with the picker, either. So the grandkids were sent out at the beginning of the season with a tractor and a box wagon to pick the corners out by hand. Due to not having (free) labor like grandpa, I have to plant so the picker can get around the corner without knocking anything down. I kind of miss the hand-pulling of ears sometimes, though.
I remember doing that plenty of times when I was younger. Now that I am older, and hopefully wiser, I don't plant the headlands. I have also been known to skip a couple of rows in the middle of the field when planting. That way I don't run them over or have to pick them by hand.
I went with Dad before I started school to hook and unhook the wagon and I don't remember anyone that Dad picked for picking the corners. I think everyone around here turned the cows in to pick up the corn that was left on the ground.
We always either opened up the field by hand or hired it opened.I used to open mine myself and woke up in the night with an aching arm. With my old #7 n.i. one row picker and 30" rows i had to pick 3 by hand.Tried the running over with my 2 row pull type but just too particular i guess. Got a two row mounted ford but with the way my 30 acres lays so wet dont think i'll be getting corn in this year.
I don't rember hand picking our corners, but one of our neibors did ,I beleive he used a 5 gal bucket. then put in his 2 row mounted Oliver. I hand picked some last fall to get my New Idea one row going.
We always cut a few rows out of the field with corn knifes and fed the fodder to the cattle but this year I think Im gonna pick some by hand just to try it out.
