Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-06-05
Bradford, VT, juno 3, 1915.
Experience with Fodder
Corn.

warren PerclVtl, or GROSS lllI,
Me. writes to the Boston Cuiiipat0r
in regard to his success with fodder
corn. He says:
I'll write few lines to try to IN
duce farmers to cultivate more fod'
der corn. Being aware that there
are diversities Of opinion as to its
value, | will give mine. For 10
wears | have raised more or less ev'
cry year and have come to regard
my farm operations deficient with
out patch for use for all my ami
mails in and around my buildings,
in small quantities daily, us soon
rs it is sufficiently matured, which
in II majority of cases is quite too
late planting. Some of our most
intelligent asriculturists, among
whom are Harris, Lewis and Lorng,
denounce it III stong terms, as con
tanning an excess of water. ! think
their objections could chiefly be Oh
waited 10y early planting, as the tod'
der will We more mature when fed,
at such time and such quantities as
the animals will relish.
apply a fair quantity of manure.
cultivate it in making the soil mel
low. iurrowshoal from 2 to y feet
between rows, plant the corn some
90 kernels to the foot. When the
corn is from 6 to s inches high, run
a cultivator between the rows to
keep down weeds aud stir the soil.
prefer sweet corn Stowrll's Ever
green is usually recommended as il
is less bulky and more nutritious.
prove it before planting to be sue
it will grow. Plant from May 20 to
June 20; hence it natures very
much before using. | begin to fer,l
early especially if the season be dry
cutting the fodder 81 hours before
feeding. lam very confident that
il any farmer would cultivate am,
feed what he can we'll consume, ht
would decide that this crop is II.
l,oti,abr as any raised upon hi:
fam while there is none SO mucl
neglected and abusCd."
Per contra. VIM. s. Bcekman
Ulster Co., N. Y, writes to the n
Y. Tribune as follows:
"My experience this Winter has
convinced me that fodder corn as :
Winter food for stock, is a humbu.
mere shoddy, as compared Will
good hay. In or"er to grow Il large
crop the land needs to he rich natur
ally, or made SO by manure. a
prominent advocate of fodder corn.
claims to use thirty two.horse loads
of manure to an acre, in the drills
The same quantity would top-dres'
three acres ofgrass land, yielding
say four and u half tons of hay
which conld be harvested with f,l
less trouble than the fodder corr
and be worth a great deal more
Fodder corn grown upon rich land
so that the leaves are of a dark
green hue, makes n very good Sum
mer food, in connection with gran
or dry hay, to counterfeit its loose
ming effect upon stock. But the
labor of cutting and curing for Win
ter use is, in my estimation, more
than it is worth. l sowed a piece OF
rich old pasture with Southern corn
IN drills. Much of it grew - feet
high. Wishing to SOW the piece to
rye for Spring fodder, cut the corn
on the oath of August. 1t was a
hard, tedious job. After curing for
several days, turning twice in the
meantime, | hauled it upon u mead
ow, and spread out for several days,
and then bound it up in stouts.
While the outer leaves turned al.
most white by exposure to the sun
and rain, the inside leaves under
the ban Is heated, and in conse-
qupncp. the stnrts were all spread
out again, turned several times,
tlrn bound in small bundles and
packed away between layers OF dry
hay. | calculate that one acre OF
fodder corn cost more than five
acres of hay, and after all the troub-
lie it is good Tor nothing. My stock
do not eat it and l am compelled to
use it for bedding. also tried cut
ting it. then with a quart of corn
meal to a bushel of stalks, aud last.
~ the stalks and meal steamed to
getler. but in no way could the
cows and horses he induced to eat
the stalks but lick off all the meal
do not believe that there is any
more nOurishment in the leaves OF
cured fodder corn than in hassw God
shaviugs. A working animal fed
on such fodder would starve to
DEATH