The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-02-13
Value OF Corn Fodder.


In the annual report of 1870 digcs
of the views of numerous correspondents
Of intelligence and experience, is present
ed, from which the following conclusion
were drawn:
/. Green corn fodder is neither
worthless nor tho poorest Of all soilinl
material
.. 1t is best when planted in drills
or hills, not so thickly as to prevent nor
NAL growth and development, cultivated
to destroy weeds and grasses, aud cut be-
tween taseeling and caring. when the Gle
ments elaborated for production of the
ear are stored in readiness for immediate
use
3. 1t is probable, both from the re-
tjonalc Of the case, and from facts pre-.
sented above, that in the more northern
ATTITUDES mistake has often been II ado
in sowing thickly southern corn which
cannot mature, the fodder from which fed
in August, must be very nearly worth.
less. On the contrary, the fodder from
northern corn, especially sweet corn
drilled widely and cultivated, and fed
just before caring, is found to be very val.
liable.
4. Its value, compared with lucern
millet, the best grasses, and other plants
containing large percentage of nutri.
ment, taking into consideration the guam.
tity produced and the cost Of its produc.
ton, has not been determined fully, and
should be decided by a series of thorough
and exhaustive experiments.
Combinations Of the correctness oil
these conclusions are received from ever
direction, as the result Of further and
more careful experiments during the
present year. Among the authorities
repeatedly quoted to show the assumed
worthlessness Of corn-todder, is the Bos.
ton Journal of Chemistry. The position
of that journal is that "when raised from
broadcast sowing it is nearly worthless
but when sown in hills or in drills and
cultivated with access Of air and sunlight
it is of high value" An experiment
made by the editor this season shows that
fodder-corn planted in drills contained Of
dry matter, the water being evaporated
in a drying closet, II per cent, while
that from corn sown broadcast contained
but s per cent, in which sugar and gum
were almost entirely wanting. This H.
Illustrates the great superiority Of stalks
collected just as the ear begins to form.
At a meeting of the Western New
York Dairymen's Association, in Septem-
Der, Mr.. Lewis +. Allen stated that, in
experimenting with foddcr-corn, he had
planted one acre in sweet corn, which
grew to height Of about = feet feed.
ing being commenced when the corn be-
gan to tassel. The acre supplied sixteen
cows twcnty-threc days, equivalent to
feeding one SOW three hundred and sixty.
eight days. yielding about s. tons.
Common Ohio green corn, OF which the
crop was double that of the sweet corn,
was then fed, and the COWS appeared to
relish it equally well. The result was q
steady increase of milk and large in
crease Of butter.
In respect to substitution Of luccrn
IN place Of toddcr-corn, Mr.. Martin said
that the value Of the former as food
for dairy cows would appear to have been
overrated to some extent. 1t belongs to
the clover family, and the milk of cows
fed upon it is not equal for purposes OF
butter and cheese to milk from the grass
proper; and the butter and cheese OBJ
tanned from feeding it are deficient in
keeping qualities.
Mr.. 4. W. Stewart brought forward
the practice of Mr. Fry, who raised corn
in drills, dropping the seed in every third
furrow. One acre supplied one hundred
and five cows four days. equivalent to
feeding one COW four hundred and twenty
days. Mr.. Stewart held that when the
compliant began to tasscl It contained all
the constituents Of the grain.
Mr.. Pierce, Of East Hamburger. said
that he had not found sowcd corn capa.
bic of increasing the production Of milk
after it had fallen Off, but that if the
feeding was commenced in season the
flow would be kept up, and the cows sus.
tanned in good heart and fcsh.-Dcpart.
meW Agriculture.