The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1848-09-06
From the Southern Cultvator.
CORN IN DRILLS FOR FODDER.

CORN IN DRILLS FOR FODDER.
Mr.. EprroR:-T mentioned in former
scrap, that was about to cut tor l"dder, an
acre of corn that had been sown IN drills
Last year | tried the experiment on an
acre.whose utmost capacity of production
would no, have exceeded / 5 bushels OF corn.
The mode Of curing was to tie II up IN bun
dies, after receiving two days sun. and
"shock" il, as wheat OF oats. During The
three or four weeks in which it stood IN this
state, the rains were almost incessanl; and
much of the value of my corn fodder was,
thus wasted. The result however, was
tha. the produce of that acre wlntered tour
cows entirely, and KEEP them well. The on
" other food they had was the "slnp' from
nv Kitchen, uhe family being of ordinary
sze) given to Two of the cows which were
in milk.
This year manured bitter, and selected
an acre which, after manurlng, might pro-
.tIuce between 20 and 25 bushels of corn.-
The seed was put into the ground on Satur-
.dav. March the ll,h about l,2 bushels to
the acre: in rows or drills, Of three feet dis
tancc apart, and covered with the plow. 1t
received two plowings with the bull tongue
during its growth, and this was all the work
of anu kind bestowed on it.
The ground being Of unequal fertility in dit
ferent spots il approached maturity mneqallv.
A part of it was cut on the 26lh of June: the
the residue on the 81 of July; the "hj"ct, in
each case, being To cut it when in the fullest
flower tha, is Of silk and tassel. No part OF il
was weighed, nor any estimate turTH=H how
much il might weigh. had about s acres
ofoats adjacent to it, sowed at the same lime
with nv corn, and then ready for the sickle;
some of my judicious and experienced neigh
bours, viewing both, thought that the acre
of corn would yield more nutrlment IN ual-
ne, than the 8 acres of oats.
The corn was cut with common weed
ing hoe. ground sharp-an instrument well
adapted 10 the object. 1t was taken up as
It was cut, and several methods "t curing
adopted. A large part Of it was placed IN
houses, standing OH the butt ends, and pres
scd together, bu, kept erect. In this way
there being free vent upwards tor the es,
cape of air, j, could not heat. and has cured
we'll. Another part was placed against a
hoard fence in the open air, butts down, and
inclined 10 The &nce at small angle, 81 that
when the fodder had been placed on both
sides of the fence, there might be room for
the passage of air. The top layers on each
side of the fence were placed with the butts
m ard the tasSes down, so as more pei feet.
]vlo shed the rain.
Another part was disposed of on the prin-
cipIe of the oIdfashioned fodder house,"
that is, posts were set in the ground at sul,a-
bic distances. planks were nailed 10 them at
the height of about fur feet from the ground
(Corks and poles would have done as welD
the corn was then stacked, about two feet
thick against one side, slightly inclined as
before. In stacking OIL the opposite side. the
tops of that portion first put up were press
ed down, and thus placed beneath the tops
of that now leaned against II, which jutted
over Ike the last course Of shingles on a
house. In both cases, the last layer put on
had the tops turned down, to protect the
mass better from the rain. Then, to finish
LAYER of the c,rn was placed on the top;
vet, so as to have considerable inclination
towards the side first stacked. Thus, long
roof-shaped heap was made; with free
circulation Of air under and through it, the
ends being left open.
1t remained in this condition week, and
and took several rains. The weather still
proving rainy; the idea was conceived to
stack il up more permanently in the follow
sng manner:--An ordinary stack pole was
placed in the ground; around this at the dis.
lance of three feet at bottom, were placed
four other poles, the top ends all coming TO-
ce,her; and there was firmly fastened togeth.
or by passing grape vines through holes pre-.
yiouslv bored, with that view Thus sort
of hollow cone was formed about Is feet in
height. and six feet wide at The base. A
rude flnor was then constructed around the
base. 50 as to keep the fodder from the
ground. The stacking then went on; keep
inc the butts always next the poles; which
Of course drew in the stack exactly as the
poles were inclined. In arranging the floor
DaIns were taken to leave open the hollows
ofthe corn rows, made by the last turrow OF
the plough, to admit the free passage OF air
underneath the stack The same object was
further assisted, by placing large log on
the ground in a proper situation, pointing
towards the centre; on which the fodder
was so placed, that at the close OF the oPee-
ration, when the log was drawn out, hole
was left into the open space of the centre,
large enough for man,,to crawl in; and this