Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-08-27
! Forcen.I for WInIorIng onr Sod

The hay crop is short. Hay is high in
market, and will probably be higher There
is bad prospect ahead for dairymcn yet
this need not he TO the extent il is, for there
are resources that can be worked up TO adj.
vantage We still have our straw and our
oornstalks- aud there is o cheap corn which
the West in It's abundance is offering us
Corn, however, is not the thing for the
dairy it is only help With other things.
To feed much corn TO mich COWS is, in gem
oral, to Lessen the milk, TO heat the system,
and to take on fat--just what is not want.
ed for the dairy. Straw cut or steamed,
and little corn added, will keep a dairy
through the winter 10 fair condition better
if one feed day is Of good hay. or what is
preferable, carly cut clover.
And now will farmers consider what they
have long been taught, but what they have
little Needed namely will they secure
their straw in better condition. They have
10 to do, and it is almost Of incalculablc
benefit now when hay is so scarce both the
present growth and old hay. Can they af-
ford to feed hay at thirty to forty dollars a
ton ? Perhaps IL the RICH, kind OF hay I;
but there will be little Of this in this sec
ton, as it has already duly TN passed
the period when it should have been socur.
cd. But the straw Of our grains can be
saved and made highly available. Cut when
the berry is in the dough, as when it has
just reached that state, the stalk will yet
be comparatively green, and It's substance
u,ueh mora ,vos1,Il, tho, uvIov o,t r;,,,
There is considerable substance in such hay
for It really is hay--and as have said,
it is available to stock.
The grain cut in this condition my be all
saved there will be no sheling from over
ripeness; the crop will be less lodged and
stand more even il will, in a word, harvest
the better Let it be tied in small shcaves
and put in stocks, capped with sheaf in
the usual way to ward off the rain. find
the best curing done when there is lit
tie air permitted 10 circulate among the
sheaves. In forming the stock, do not,
therefore, make it too compact Bind
and put up as soon as cut, but in no case
when there is the least dew or rain on.
When cured, the straw will come out a
fine, pale green, and fragrant tho berry
will be plump and bright Such straw will
be fair feed if fed twice a day with lit
tie corn meal once day, and one feed Of
good hay. 1t is all that is needed to winter
cattle and horses, hard working horses ex-
copied, which need oats in addition. Where
hay is quite scarce and horses claim it,
mich cows may be wintercd on the straw
and meal alone, few quarts of meal for a
day, more if the condition and size of the
animals require it, This is cheap feed
If the straw is the usual straw ripe, there
is but little available substance in it, and
much meal must be fed Save the nutri.
ment of the straw by early harvesting, cs-
pooially az IL also improves tho berry and
has cleaner and earlier harvest.
Cornstalks are probably Of still more
benefit. Although they are hay with
grains, yet they seem to contain more sub.
stance, or at least more than is available,
and are better relished, only, however,
when cured the same as the straw. Cut
when the corn is glazed, and put in stocks,
as with the grain. If the fall is a favor
able one, long and dry, the stalk will be so
well cured that it may be put in consider
able bulk if not packed too close. Other
wise, If the season is rather moist, it must
be more distributed or it will spoil. Some
Of our best dairymen feed the whole stalk
Others pass it through the cutter. There
seems to be but little difference. There
will be little left if fed in small quantities
or course in such case it would be done
oitencr. The way is, as we have noted
with the greatest satisfaction, to divide O
feed some half an hour before the regular
time and then, when consumed, give tn
rest. Thus there will be little or nothing
left to breathe over We presume thi
would apply to straw or hay as well
Where there is root crop or fodder corn
Of course so much the better
Meadows having crop removed, ant
the second started, if not pastered, SHOULD
have it done at onco--one bushcl per acre
This should in no way be neglected. if III
meadow is Of clover. A second crop ma,
thus be pushed for cutting. Farmers hav
1t thus in their power, Notwithstanding tn
discouraging prospects Of the hay crop, l.
carry their stock with little or no ncreas
of expense. But if they DO not avail them
selves Of their opportunity, it will be al
expensive, if not almost impossible thin
to winter their stock In many cases
will doubtless be ruinous. Remember tn
stock is not only to be wintered, it is to b
wintered well, or the season that follow
will show falling of in the income. w
have had an inkling Just an inkliug q
this--the nrespnt soaeon Ia, 40 al