The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-03-07
;mmSht EARN.
SOILING CROPS.


Correspondent Of american Farmer.
| give you, as promised, some &C
count Of my management of soiling
crops. Ny herd numbers about thirty
head, milking. The last of August or
first of September, | broadcast two
bushels of rye on one acre of ground,
and five bushels of wheat on two acres,
the land being rich and well prepar-
ed, and as convenient to the stable as
possible AS early in the Spring as
the season will allow | put in three
acres of oats, sowing four bushels to
the acre.
By the time half the rye is fed the
wheat is ready to commence on. l
mix hay with the rye at first, to an ex-
tent that will prevent securing, which
the sudden change from winter to all
green food will produce As soon as
begin cutting the wheat, the rye that is
left is made into hay, and the ground
prepared and sowed to corn, two and a
half to three bushels to the acre, broad
cast. | am now satisfied, however,
having tested it last year, that better
results are obtained by sowing the corn
in drills, two and a half or three feet
apart, cutivating with the Thomas
harrow and then twice working with
cultivator.
The wheat l cut twice, and have cut
three times. The wheat left is made
into hay, and the wheat ground put
into sowed corn. The oats were then
fed until the corn on the rye ground
was ready for feeding. l have some
times had to feed few days on clover
between oats and the first corn, but
usually have good lot of oats to
make into hay.
From six acres, as above, besides
that fed to thirty mich cows, l feed
six horses to some extent, and | have
of rye, wheat, oats and cured corn
fodder enough to last until after the
holidays. Sowed corn, Hungarian
grass, sugar beets-plants grown to
set out at this time-I put in oats
ground My practice is to cut all my
green feed with straw cutter and mix
with wheat, bran, corn chop, &c. Cur
ed corn-fodder and fodder from planted
corn | cut with Wagner & Matthews
fodder cutter, which, after cutting it
into lengths of two or three inches,
passes them between masticators, put
ting it in better condition for feeding
than any machine | have SEEN There
is no danger of sore-mouthed cattle
from hard or sharp edges of cut corn
stalks, but the whole is made soft, and
cattle and sheep eat it clean.
l stabilized altogether, and am care.
full to have my land well MANFRED and
put into such condition that will insure
good soiling crops. | think by this
system only can we make the amount
of manure to use so literally and be-
sides, l find great advantage in hav-
ing only the one lot, with shade and
water, for cattle to run in They are
not restless as when pastured, looking
for changes, and produce more milk
and butter by being kept quiet.
The particular crop of fodder-corn /
mentioned to you, and concerning
which you now inquire, was one |
bought when carrying on milk farm
near Baltimore For one acre of corn
| paid $3.50, and cut and hauled it a
mile, and even at this cost l believe it
was the cheapest food | bought that
Summer.
My experience with Hungarian grass
last season was very satisfactory
sowed one bushel to the acre about the
middle of June, it grew off finely and
yielded me fully three tons to the acre,
as | believe; it makes most excellent
feed both for horses and cows. Both
cat it with a relish, the former fattenng
on it, and the latter, incredible as ii
may appear, increasing their yield of
butter above what they gave when fed
on upland hay.
Yours truly, LEWIS H. Cole
C1ooer Hill, Carroll Co., Nd, January
1871 1874.