The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-09-10
WINTER STOCK FOOD.


Reports from most portions of the
Northwest represent the outlook for
winter food for stock US anything
but promising. Fortunately the re-
ports from different sections are not
"all one way" else there would be
great cause for alarm. AS a rule,
however, upland hay, including the
product Of wild and cultivated
grasses, is light; while the product
of the low lands, the boys and marsh
es, is very much below the average of
former years. The season is now too
far advanced, and the ground is too
dry to expect any improvement.
There is little hope Of a crop of after
math from "meadows brown and
scar" as most Of them are. The same
causes that have resulted is a short
crop of grass have caused the straw
Of spring-sown grains to be also light.
In most sections the extreme dryness
Of the season prevented the ordinary
amount Of Hungarian and millst from
being sown. Corn lacks length of
stalks and fallness Of foliage.
Asto root crops, always neglected
in the West, there is a poorer show
ing than in past years. The season
has been bad for sowing turnips and
worse for transplanting them. Pas
lures are in bad condition, and there
seems to be no doubt that cattle will
come to the barns thin in flesh. Feed
has been short; water scarce; and
only insects abundant. That more
than ordinary care and Judgment
will be required to winter the usual
amount Of stock, seems certain.
How to husband the resources the
farmer has in order to carry his stock
through the winter, will require
much thought and good management.
In the first place, attention should
be given to the stacks and ricks of
hay already made. They should be
examined to see is they are in condi-
ton to shed rain. If they are not,
new covering Of lowland grass
should be placed ON them, for every
year large amount of hay is lost by
the stacks not being in condition to
shed water. The straw should also re-
ceive attention. In too many in
stances it is thrown into heap from
the thresher and suffered to remain in
that condition. It should be stacked
with as much care as hay, otherwise
much of its value will be lost.
Corn fodder will be in requisition
the coming winter, and every pains
should be taken to make the most of
it. In many parts Of the West the
practice prevails of allowing the
stalks, with their foliage, to remain
where they grew, only harvesting the
ears of corn. Of course it is an easy
way of doing things, to allow stock
to range through the fields in winter
and gather the leaves. The practice,
however, is q shiftless one in the ex-
treme. Stock derive some nutriment
from corn leaves that have been froz-
en-, thawed, washed by rain, torn by
winds and bleached by the weather,
but they are as inferior in value to
corn fodder that has been properly
cut, cured and stored, as grass that
has dried on the spot where it grew,
is inferior to that which was cut at
the proper time, cured and stored in
a barn..
Three ways Of harvesting corn fod-
der are in vogue in different parts of
the country. In the South, in slavery
times, at least, the practice of gather
ing the leaves from the stalks was
quite general. It was the work
Of children, or men and women not
adapted to hard field labor. The
leaves were simply pulled from
the stalks by hand, laid on the ground
in punches till they were wilted,
when they were bound up in bundles
and then placed in stacks, or under
sheds, or in barns. No food is more
highly relished, by stock of all kinds,
than this. 1t is excellent for produc-
ing milk: young stock thrive on it
exceedingly, while horses will leave 4
manger Of oats for taste of these
sweet leaves. OF course, the amount
Of labor required to harvest the fod-
der in large field, in this manner,
is very considerable.
Throughout New England, and to
. considerable extent in the other
States, the practice of cutting the
stalks before the corn is harvested,
and before there is danger from
fIosts, is general. This is done by cut
ting the stalk very near tho bottom
of the ears of corn. 1t is best done
by sharp shoe-knife or by razor.
blade fitted in q handle. Enough
stalks for bundle are thrown to-
gether, and when they are wilted and
properly cured, they are tied up and
stacked or stored under cover. This
practice is said to have been borrow
ed by the Pilgrim Fathers from the
Indians. When cured in this way,
the leaves make excellent food, and a
large proportion of the stalks are
eaten. Some hold that the ear loses
something by tapping the corn in
this manner, but others affirm that it
is beneficial as far as Fastening ripen-
ing is concerned.
Throughout the great corn-growing
region Of the West moot Tormo-o