M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1857-06-25
Horticultural.
SowIng CORN for Fodder.

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open pastures cannot be relied on du-
ring the excessively dry weather that
often occurs in July and August
The soil becomes baked the grass is
scared almost into finder; vegetation
ceases, and the herds and locks al
most s~tarve working animals dwin-
die cattle and sheep, intendedfo for the
market, cease to take on flesh mich
COWS give less than one halfthe usu-
alsupply of milk; and young cattle
and sheep become weak and unfit to
encounter the winter.
For this great evil-an evil greater
every year--we believe there is rem
edy. Our readers will be glad to
know what it is. We will tell them.
/. Plow up one or two acres OF
green sward, turning it over smooth
", and sinking the pillow to the bot
tom oil the good soil, if it is not more
than a foot deep. Then SOW good
plump corn on the backs of the fur
rows, at the rate of about two bush
els to the acre, and harrow it in light,
but thoroughly, so as to cover the
corn, and soften the soil. Sow a lit.
tie corr that has been soaked in arse
mic, around the edges of the piece, to
kill vermin, and let it alone till it is
two or three feet high. Then, ifyou
need it during a dry time for your
stock, It will be ready for them. Or
if the hay crop should be light, you
may cut the corn, let it dry thorough.
ly, and save it, bound in small bun
dies for winter fodder. Two acres
will yield, in a good season, an i'm.
mense amount Of fodder. Try this
experiment this year.
Another mode is the following: On
common cortland, already under the
pillow, drill in two acres ofcorn, Make
the rows three feet apart, and plant
the seed about four inches apart in
the rows. After the corn has come
UP, run the cultivator through it two
or three times. The advantages Of
this mode are, that you car keep the
crop clean, and treat it every way
more Systematically.
2. Oats sown late and very thick,
are sometimes recommended to be
mown, and given to stock, when the
pastures fail in dry weather. This
might be e~xpedient where the field
selected for the oats was rich and
moist, and therefore unaffected by
drought. But the difficulty in gener-
al would be, that in dry seasons, late
sown oats would not grow; and in
wet seasons, the pastures would be
good, and the aid Of the oats would
not be needed; whereas, in the case
of corn, dry seasons interfere far less
with its growth and fit gets a good
start, the hotter the weather the better.
3. The Chinese Sugar Cane is also
recommended as a summer fodder for
stock, in dry weather. We have an
impression that this will prove to be
among the most profitable Uses to be
made Of this newly heralded plant, ii
it is used at all. But it has not been
tested enough and it is at present diff
ficuit for western farmers to procure
the seed in sufficient quantity, and at
reasonable prices. We would recon-
mend you to try a small piece for it,
and watch the products. Next year
you may take counsel of the expert
ence ofthis year.
Meanwhile, the sowing Of corn has
been tested, and found to be real ad-
vantage. Had the farmers of Ashta-
bula and Trumbull counties sown corn
generously last year, their stock would
not, we think, have suffered SO much
this Spring.--Ohi Farmer.