Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1865-02-10

Indian Corn as a Fodder Plant.

al an early pcriou ia my s"'eS' ~ N'-N'
ing embraced the English idea that iur-
nips, or other root crops, were essentiai
10 successful farming, because It enabled
one TO feed larger stock Of animals from
given surface than could otherwise be
done, and thereby greatly increase the
manural resources Of the fam. soon
found, however, that the conditions OF CHI
mate, so essential to the profitable cultiva-
ton of roots. and of turnips in particular,
were wanting, in large degree, in this
country. That, instead of the humid at
mosphere OF England, we had hot dry sea-
sons, which rendered the cultivation of that
bulb exceedingly precarious; so much so
. that with our very hard, cold winters, and
the Increased amount of room required for
storage, no farmer could afford to grow
them.
Nv attention was next directed TO In
dian corn, as substitute, and easily
came to the conclusion that ] could make
more beef mutton, or pork, from an acre
OF corn, both stalks and grain, than cou d
from the same surface in roots. 1t was
not, however, until | adopted the plan of
cutting or chatting the stalks that began
TO realize the fol! value of the plant to the
farmer. | have now had several years
experience with chaffed stalks, each year
improving upon the experience OF the last,
and begin to think that | pretty well un-
derstand the subject of making the most Of
coarse forage for winter supply.
But heretofore have, with very slight
exception, conined myself to the stalks of
the cornfeld, after the grain has been Sc
cured Observing the results Of others OPP
CREATIONS who have sown or drilled in corn
exclusively for fodder. took hint from
a milkman who lived near Buffalo. and
supplied milk to that city. He was in the
habit of sowing several acres with western
corn broadcast, cutting it up before the
frost, and curing in large stocks, well set
up. and fastened at The top with strong
bands, and only drawn in when wanted in
the winter. The stalks were cut, and hot
still Stops poured upon them, and then fed.
He wntered his cows in this manner, and
always had good flow Of milk, and his
cows kept in high condition. | became
satisfied that to make the stalks of in
creased value to the CATTLE some method
must be devised to moisten the stalks be-
fore feeding, and having some twenty-five
acres of corn fodder, and considerable
straw, and only small quantity of hay
rather large stock Of animals, some forty
head of cattle, aud seven horses--I pre-
pared watts in the basement OF one Of my
barns, into which the cut feed falls from
the cutter. | found that the cattle aver
aged about three bushels. of feed per day;
tie vats, therefore, held enough for twen-
,y-lour hours feeding, and an extra feed,
or four feeds. When we begin to iced
from one vat the other is filed by wettiug
down a very few baskets full of dry feed,
and foiking it 10 the opposite end. Be-
fore commencing 10 wet down, barrel is
filled with water, and salt added 10 make
it slightly brackish, and something more
than barrel of water is used upon the vat
OF cut feed, and entirely absorbed. In few
hours fermentation comm ences, and before
we begin feeding from the vat the feed has
become smoking hot. Thus far the cattle
eat it with great asidity, and seem to
thrive; at any rate the cows which are in
mi k do not decrease the daily flow. The
stalks are cut with about one-third their
bulk of bright wheat straw, cut when the
wheat was well out of the milk, but the
berry not hard. The straw is not saved
under cover. The length of cut is about
three-quarters of an inch. think for
sheep should cut not to exceed half an
iuch A few Of the coarsest butts are left
by the cattle, and a still smaller number
by The horses. The waste is not as much
as with timothy, or clover hay. In my
practice the fodder from an acre of corn is
worth all that it costs 10 make the crop.
This leads to the question, how much
winter forage can be grown upon an acre
By means of coru-stalks? | am satisfied
that The stalks grown upon square yard
will furnish fodder for COW, or OK, for
twenty-four hours. There are about two
hundred days foddering for our animals
An acre contains ALSO square ward, Oh
will contain, ii faisly cultivated, the neees.
sary fodder for twenty-five animals, The
usual number of days. II the corn be
drilled in early, and not too thick, say Al
the rate Of two and one-haif bushels TO thu
acre, there viii be small ears enough per
fected to supply all the grain necessary tt
Keep those animals in good store condition
But as | may err, and it is better to do s,
Oh the safe side, let Us double the quantity
say two square yards and any person
who will measurs off three feet by six fee!
will readily concede that it is no very Iarg,
yield to say three bushels of chopped stalk
will be produced from that space. ",