I've never picked corn by hand, but have been thinking of using my team and wagon to try that.
One person told me he remembered doing it with two other people, one person on the right of the wagon picking two rows, one person on the left of the wagon picking two rows and one person in front of the wagon picking two rows. I got to thinking that didn't seem quite right, as I always thought the wagon had a "bang board" on one side where the picking person threw the ear, the ear hit the board and then fell into the wagon. That obviously wouldn't work with a person picking and throwing from each side. It also seems a person would have to be a very good "pitcher" for many ears not to miss the 38" or 42" wide wagon box.
Also, it seems one would almost have to work one way around the field or the bang board would be on the wrong side each time one turned around.
Would a picker usually pick two rows at a time?
Would the wagon be close to the picker so it would knock down the stalks after the ears were picked? If not, it seems to me it'd be very difficult to throw ears "through" stalks that had already been picked.
Perhaps my descriptions and questions are not very clear. Never having picked corn by hand or seeing it done, I'm just saying I really don't have much of any idea of how it is done.
Thanks for your knowledge and ideas and info. kelly