Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-06-18
Facts Prom Farmers.

Editor of the Vermont Farmer:
like these short right-to-the-point arti-
cles, containing scraps Of experience from
farm life and endorse your opinion Of them,
expressed in late number Of the FARMER.
Feeding Oats In the Bundle.
In reading Mr.. Ways article of few
weeks since, was reminded Of some facts
in my own experience. Several yeare since
having large crop Of oats | did not thresh
them all, but reserved n considerable quantity
to feed to my cows in winter. They werO
not cut as early as they should have beon for
this purpose, but | found on feeding them
once day that they produced good results,
being much liked by the auimals and in-
creasing the flow of milk.
Where farmers are raising large quantities
of oats to feed to their stock, unless the last
is quite large think it would be better to
harvest a portion of them at the right stage,
perhaps after the grain has become formed
or in the milk, which would make an excel.
lent feed for COWS, and useful to mix along
with the different qualities OF hay and straw.
do not think there would usually be much
loss experienced from vermin, as the fodder,
as we will call it, would pack pretty solid
in the NOW when cut at this stage, and
would not equal the cost Of threshing.
Feeding whole Oats.
A few words in relation to feeding oats
nnground A few years since from a scarcity
of water | was induced to feed my COWS
after commencing to give milk, for a short
time, oats without being ground. had pre-
viously given them oats and corn ground to-
gether, and after giving them the oats alone
found they gave more milk, and that it
yielded better cream.
| gave this feed awhile aud then tried the
ground corn aud oats again, when the yield
Of milk was diminished and the cream was
not as good. l gave about the same quantity
of each and good hay was fed during the
time.
This was little contrary to my expecta-
tions, as | supposed part of the grain would
be voided whole, and Of course no benefit
would be received from this. l do not con-
slider the loss here as equal to the cost of
grinding, aud think that if 1 were to feed oats
to cows alone, would not get them ground.
Top Dressing Old Meadows.
heard farmer awhile since give the fol-
lowing experience in relation to top-dressing
old meadows The field had not been
plowed for twenty-five years and only yield.
ed one-half ton Of hay per acre. Manure from
the COW stable was drawn on in winter and
spread as soon as the frost was out of the
ground the following spring. This was two
years ago, that very dry season, and the crop
of hay was fully two tons to the acre.
The next year being wet the crop was
even greater, Of good quality of hay. This
was on moist ground and shows the value Of
manure applied directly to the grass crop
aud that too in green and unfermented
state.
Where such results can be obtained on
land adapted to grass and difficult Of cultiva-
ton, it is much better to let such meadows
remain permanently in this condition, after
having once been we'll seeded down.
Much labor is required in tilling hard
wet and stony land, and often the crops are
not satisfactory, being altogether out Of pro
portion to the outlay, aud as hay is leading
product in most parts of our state, its in
creased production should engage our atten
tion, not as an article for export, but to feed
on our farms, and by this means keep them
improving from year to year. Il. X. I.
Franklin County.