Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-09-20
agricultural.
Fodder Corn and Sugar Beets.

The Irasburgh Farmers Club have been
discussing the relative profit of fodder corn
and sugar heets, and We find the following
report of the .s opinions "
Y. H. Stiles remarked that when farmer
steps aside from the regular course OF farm
ing TO raise a crop that will increase the
amount OF food for his cattle, he naturally
inquiries what is most profitable. Fodder
corn is well adapted to summer feeding, and
If properly cured would be 81 great addition
10 the winter stores but sugar beets will
probably weld crop of equal or greater val
ne by the acre, require no curing, and can
be fed not only in the fall. but all through
the winter and spring, when such succulent
food proves very beneficial to all kinds of
stock. One Thousand or fifteen hundred
bushels Of beets, besides the tops, from an
acre. must afford snch an amount OF food as
to give decided profit.
G. e Brewster had no experience with
beets, but did not doubt their excellence for
winter feed lie believed fodder corn good
for cows at all times. He had now fed fod-
der corn one week, and his twenty five COWS
have gained two pals (six or eight gallons)
of milk day, over the amount they gave be-
fore, and his cheese are inch thicker than
those made previously to feeding this corn.
Without this fodder. the cows would have
diminished in milk Another thing this
food causes the cattle t. keep in better con
ditiOn. He mows a swati about seven ieet
wide and twenty long. morning and night,
feeding twice day As there IS larger
increase in the size Of lis cheese than the ex
ira quantity of milk would lead him to ex-
pect he thinks the quality Is Improved in a
greater ratio than the quantity Sir BreWs-
ter sowed two bushels of Western dent corn
on about half acre which he had yard
ed his cows when milking, and the growth
was enormous.
VIM. l.. Locke, Jr., SAID he sow-d i've pccks
of Western corn in drills, ami lie thought
of curing it for winter fodder. as his cows are
doing we'll in their pasture, and he had heard
that one-forth of an acre sowed with Yves
tern corn will produce enough to winter a
cow.
). Yaw Observed that he lrad led corn ct 81 ks
to cattle with decided benefit
II. T. Jameson said that he soWcd Ole and
a half bushels of Western corn broadcast on
about a third OF an acre the 18th day Of
June, and exhibited single stalk which
weighed one and fourth pound. lie ais
showed a sugar beet. planted five weeks ear
lier, which weighed three and half pounds.
A beet occupies about foot square Of ground
while several stalks OF corn grow 3 square
foot He had fed his cows Just one week
with corn stalks, and they have gained three
pints each per day in milk, and pint each
the quantity of cream saved during the
week. He thinks il is more work to sow and
hoe beets, but less work to harvest and store
them safely, than fodder corn.
}. B. Fasset stated that the field vi corn
owned bv Mr.. Brewster suited HIM He had
never raised any himself. The idea of SOW
ing in drills. and hoeing had heretofore rath
er deferred him, but if it can be sowed broad
cast, like oats and yield such 4 crop, ii
must be profitable
Mr.. Brewster feeds out about one square
rod day, and the gain in cheese is perhaps
seven pounds, and the gain in condition of
the cows must be about dollar day, which
would be $l60 per acre. 1t is ready for use
just at the time when there is usually a scar
city of feed in the pastures Next year he
shall endeavor to have both fodder corn and
roots.
VIM. l.. Locke, Jr-. said he had several
times sent to b. X. Bliss, Springfield, Mass.
for seed. This year he ordered one-quarter
of pound of Skirving purple rutabaga seed.
He thought every seed WAS good, there
were plants enough for an acre. 1t was Job
70 hoe and thin them ont. They are doing
well now The land where he planted them
did not yield last year over 500 lbs. of hay
per acre. He plowed it in the spring and put
the scrapings of the barn-yard, and har-
rowed it in: then marked the drills with
plow, and scattered in the drills the droppings
of the hen roost, of which he had wagon
load. He then covered this manure with a
little dirt, and dropped the seed in hills
foot apart.