Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-06-08
Fodder Corn,

90, III letter to OgdeL Farm, says
"One season / grew in New jersey as
high as five acres of fodder corn for
winter feed l had no scales with which
to ascertain the weight per acre pro-
duced but / became convinced that it
was fully three times what the same
land would have produced in timothy
hay, besides which it was much better
for mich cows. The land was not
rich, was strong and soddy, and the
hired boys Gas they will generality
sowed it too thickly. Ny rule was to
grow ten stalks per foot of row. On
this land only wanted six per foot,
but got nearer fifteen; consequently,
it did not grow over four feet high. It
was supposed to have but few "nub-
bins in; but when we came to feed in
winter, the dung of the COWS was freely
interspersed with undigested grains
of corn. There was evidently
far more grain upon it than we
thought there was. l never had cows
to do SO well. l fed horses on it for
two months or more without any grain,
and they did we'll, and worked moder-
stely, doing the usual winter hauling
l never had any trouble in curing. I
used to cut it up and place it in shocks
of the same size as one hundred hills
of corn would make. Delayed cutting
it until late-say ten days before we
expected frost. Generally, though not
always, I let it wilt few hours before
shocking, cutting from the time the
dew was off until 2 P. NJ. then
shocked up. do not know that wilt
ing is necessary In pleasant weather,
in December, we divided the shocks in
four, tied with rye straw, and hauled it
to the barn; never slowed it more than
six feet deep in the now. If the shocks
are well made, it will keep nearly all
winter in the shock. The leaves get
matted on the outside, and turn the
water nicely" (Note. THE foregoing
indicates the value of corn fodder in an
unmistakable way; and we have no
doubt that, when grown to the degree
of ripeness described, the question Of
OF curing for winter becomes
very ample. 1t can hardly be doubted,
however, that the fodder would be
more nutritious ifcut when in blossom,
rather than after the grain is ripened.
The question to be decided is, whether,
while the stalks are full Of sap--a sap
containing good deal of sugar and
other matters that ferment readily it
will be practicable, without the aid of
artificial heat, to cure them so thor
oughly that they will not spoil. If
this can be done at all, we believe that
it will be by the aid of very thorough
willing before shocking, by putting the
shocks into stacks as soon as they are
dry enough, and by postponing the
hauling into the barn until cold wealth
er. 1t is doubtful whether fifteen
plants to the foot, or even thirty, would
be too many, if the land were in the
condition best suited to the growth of
the fodder corn-that is, in good filth
and perfectly gorged with rich manure
-Americdn Agricuiturist.
Value of MAnurcs--HOw TO Make Fer
tilizers.
A few years since DR.. James r. Mich
OILS analysed some ordinary barn yard
manure. He assumed that
A cord Of such manure would weigh. g, 900 lbs
The pure water therein. z, 456 lbs.
The pure sand. .......... 13S lbs.
1884 Tbs.
Deducting these worthless substances
and there remains only .......... 400 lbs
Deducting the carbonaceous matter,
no better than peat, straw or chaff 1872 lbs.
IA ibs
"and we have left, he says, "only "a
pounds of active fertilizing material
which has money value" These fer
tilizing materials, all that he found in
cord of manure, he proceeds to show
may be purchased in the market for
three dollars and thirty five cents And
yet practical farmers continue to use
manure that costs, including hauling,
ten, twelve and more dollars per ton,
instead of manufacturing it according
to his formula, which is as follows:
Crude nitrate of soda or sui phate of am
MONA. .................. ........ 50. 60
One and half bushel Of good wood ashes IS
Is lbs common salt, 10 lbs of bone dust.
lbs OF gypsum ...................... 30
Peat or muck, say. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 10
DR.. Nichols then says: By substi-
tuting nitrate of potassa, or saltpeter,
for soda, the compost is greatly i'm
proved, while it's cost is enhanced. If
the salts are dissolved in water-those
that are soluble-and the bone in lev,
and good muck is employed, compost
is formed very nearly as valuable as
the most concentrated fertilizers
Rules for Patrons of Cheese Factories.
Mr.. G.. T. Curtis, of the Utica Her
aid, recently presented series of rules
to be observed by the patrons of cheese
factories. They may be summarized