Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1854-11-10

Extracts from an Address

Extracts from an Address
Delivered before the Agricultural Society Of
Montgomery County, Maryland, at Its An.
nual Exhibition, at Rockville, Sept. lith,
1854. Br CHAuscEr P. HoLcoNs of Del.
Ny opinions will relate for the most
part to practical subjects, the most practi-
cal subjects that claim our attention on
the farm, and would choose to address
you in the same familiar way I would if l
we're walking with any of you over your
farms, or you were visiting me at this sea-
son, and 10 were walking over mine.
l should point to my corn fields and
say: "You see I cut up all my corn !;
after repeated experiments and much ex-
perience, am satisfied it is the best way
It is better for the corn, it is infinitely
better for the fodder l should add that
some years back l wintered hundred
head Of cattle, carrying them well through
the winter on little besides the corn fodder
from one hundred and forty acres Of corn,
for l do not take the straw largely into
the account, and l had not that season
twenty tons Of good hay in my barns l
annually winter my horses in great part
on long fodder, nor is its length, when fed
in Grips or rail managers in the yard, any
considerable Inconvenience. We tie the
fodder in bundles As We husk the corn,
using rye straw, or broom corn stalks, and
put it in bunches Of . dozen or fifteen
bundles and haul as 5000 after hu.aing as
We can, and decidedly, then, the best way
is to stack in the round stack. In cutting
up the fodder you avoid all risk Of danger
from the weather In topping and blading
the risk to the blades in bad seasons in
particular is very great. Corn may be cut
up, and should be, As early as the blades
can be safely pulled. In the case Of the
premium generously offered in Talbot
county BY that accomplished, intelligent,
and sealous friend Of agriculture, Edmund
Rui6n, Esq, to ascertain which mode Of
saving fodder is least injurious 70 the corn,
the very excellent report Of Mr.. Holiday,
of that county, showed, according to my
recollection, that corn cut up, not only
lost less in weight than BY any other pro-
cess of saving the fodder, but actually less
than when it vas left to stand on the stalk
in the field until gathered. 1t may be
convenient to have few blades, and GER
tainly it often is, but give me q = general
rule the noble plan. - it grew, robbed on
ly of its grain both for the stock and the
manure yard as we'll .s for the subsequent
tillage of the field on which it grew. The
difference between topping and blading
and cutting up corn would hardly be stated
too strong by saying it was the difference
between insuring the capacity to winter .
good herd Of stalk and having some blades
saved for the horses, the work stock Of the
farm.
There is another little practical matter
deserving q word and here again give
you rather our recent practice in New
Castle county than any theory on the sub
ject.
From some approximate estimates made
by the Agricultural Club Of New Castle
county, we ascertained that the damage to
the grain crop, the wheat and oats was not
much less annually than the taxes Of the
county, and much Of this was occasioned
by damage to the grain while in .tock
we we're then in the habit Of wind-row-
ing our grain. The club recommended in
very strong terms substituting the round
shock doubled capped that is placing ten
shelves iu q round bunch, with the arms
hugging the tops we'll in together; then
take q sheet and placing the butts against
the breast, brake it down at the hand, thus
forming an angle like the arm bent at the
elbow, throw the top Of the shock, and
With second sheet fashioned in the same
way, lay it at right angles across the first,
thus forming a complete quadrangular
architectural roof BY publications on the
SUBJECT end Offering premiums at our agri-
cultural exhibitions for the best shocker
IF the round shock with double cap, We
almost in q single season introduced the
round shock into general favor; the wind
row is hardly now to be seen.
1t will successfully protect from the
weather if put up right, at least my own
with bearded wheat is to the
,ffect that there is little or no danger to
be apprehended. In 1s46, the harvest
vas bad +; my agricultural journal shows
hat it rained every day for one week, and
some days all day, yet I subsequently,
hauled large field Of wheat shocked in
his way without even throwing of the
,aps. The present season my wheat was
,ut nouth, as I left it wher shocked and
vent over my corn, cut my oats, and did
,ther work, and though it rained with us
more or less oh several days, 1 hauled at
he end Of month directly from the field
.,d .h.a.h.d and did mt see the first |