The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-12-20
Stacking Corn Stalks.

Corn stalks when properly cured aud
cared for, from an important part of
the farmers means of wintering his
stock. They are as good or better for
mich cows than hay. Sheep also do
well on them; hence it is well to con-
slider the best means of using them to
the best advantage with view to the
most profit.
If the corn is ripe when it is cut up,
there is but little danger of the stalks
becoming moldy. They should be dry
when hauled and put in small stacks,
not over two or three loads in stack
as when more are put in they are more
likely to mold, and when they are be-
ing fed ont there is more surface ex-
posed to te rain and snow. But the
place sohere to stack them is the main
thing to be considered. Circumstances
alter cases but other things equal, l
consider that the best place by far is
the barnyard. Perhaps no one will
dispute this, but the practice of nine
tenths of our farmers contradict it. 1t
is the habit of most farmers to stack
their stalks on some knoll far away
from the barn and visit the stack once
or twice day, throughout the winter,
or as long as the stalks last, to fodder
them out. Example novel mot newt
style: tls 7i s-as -
On cold frosty morning in Decem-
Der may be seen farmer with pitch
fork under his arm, with his hands in
his pockets, cap drawn over his ears,
and head inclined to the windward,
steering towards his stacks half mile
distant, followed in Indian file by his
hungry stock, the hinder cattle occa-
sionally touching up the forward ones,
causing them to break rank and halt,
apparently wondering what they are
going out there for.
As many as arrived at the stacks are
fed, when the owner returns to be fol-
lowed in half an hour by his cattle, who
prefer starving behind the barn to eat
ing in the fierce winds. The common
excuse for this practice is that it is so
much labor to draw the stalks to the
barnyard and draw the manure back
again, but if the farmer counts his
time in foddering it is believed the bal
ance will be found the other way; to
say nothing Of the loss of manure
dropped by the stock on their way to
and from the stacks, and the destruc-
ton of the grass when, as is often the
ease, the feeding is dose on pasture or
meadow land. The advantages of
feeding cornstalks in the barnyard are
LIST, greater convenience and comfort
Of both feeder and cattle I'd, great
saving of manurey as the stalks, after
the leaves and husks are eaten of, alb
sorb the liquid and mix with the other
droppings, thus forming alarge amount
Of excellent manure by spring. No
fear need be entertained concerning
the handling Of it, as the constant
tramping of the cattle viii break up
the stalks sufficient for that. But it is
objected that the barnyard is not dry
enough to fodder in. Then make it so.
IF there is earth enough within a mile
Of you, pillow and scrape and draw till
It is all right, for if there is one place on
farm more than another that needs to
be dry it is the barnyard. File for the
agricultural writer's who say it should
Be dishing so as to hold the liquid ma
nure. They never waded into one.
Make It dry and fodder in it. There
Is no danger of having too much ma
nure there. You can draw it out on
the fields nearest the barn and let the
felds more remote be enriched by pas
turing, clover, &c. In regard to the
right use Of manure in raising wheat
perhaps / will send you few thoughts
at another time Cor Michigan Far
sser