The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-11-18

CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN
Sweet Corn for Cattle.

y
cultivation and feeding All acre OF
sweet corn to our cattle, aud the result
was 90 successful that We arranged to
enlarge our field the coming year to
four or five acres for the same purpose.
planting the corn In rows oneway, and
the hills close together the other. In
this way a greater amount Of fodder
can be grown, than IMPLANTED the usual
yay. and at the same time greater
number of bushels of ears can also be
raised OH an acre of corn. 1t Is well
known by practical farmers that the
labor of planting. and more especially
that of cultivating Is materially In
creased by this method Of planting owe,
the more common mode OF checR
planting, when light dressing by the
hand hoe, and the pulling out Of Few
weeds from the hills Is all that Is re-
oulred. except what can be done with
horse aud good cultivator. On the
contrary, by the drill system, or by
having the hills thicker one way, there
would OF necessity be much more hand
labor required, but for this extra laboi
we get quite all extra amount Of corn
and fodder. One acre was planted with
the Early Minnesota sweet corn, which
IL the best early variety yet tested OH
this farm. Some other sorts may he
few DAYS earlier. but the crop Is moi
nearly so large, and the quality Of tht
for n
when grown for cattle feeding only,
the Early Minnesota is much the best
from the fact Of Its greater productive
ness.
The present season we had our first
corn for the table about the 25th of
July, the Early Minnesota was fit fol
cattle feeding the first of August, and
as that was the time the drouth CON-
menced In this vicinity, 1t was very
opportune, as we had some fifty head
of cattle and horses to feed, and by the
middle of August the drouth began to
be serious reality to those who had
made 10 preparation. Having snch
growth of corn, planted and titled on
purpose for such an emergency, the
animals on the farm did not suffer fol
the want OF green feed. We fed lightly
at first, then moderately I'll about the
10th or lS'h * the month when We
mad them on full rations. We fed them
In the afternoon, so that the cows would
have their feed before milking. The
cows were fed In the stable, while the
young stock were fed In the night pas
ture when the ground was clean, and
on high, sound land. They were thur
fed till the 23d of September, when we
turned them into q meadow that had
been moved and cleared In July, so
there had grown considerable clover
aud timothy of the second crop. A
portion of the meadow was on bottom
land, where spring brook runs
through the farm. This part Of tue
farm scarcely suffered much from the
drouth, and for the fifty-fve days that
the animals were fed on the sweet corn
1t is safe to say that there was not as
much wasted, either in the stable or
field, as one man could carry al one
time In his arms. In fact think all
the waste pieces might be put In
bushel basket, and not be full at that
I mention the fact because Acer, In his
comments last year, objected to grow.
Ing corn for fodder In the manner
have described, as the butts would be so
large that they would not all be eaten,
and the fodder thus grown would not
be so good as where the corn was sowp
thickly, SO that the stalks would be
small and fine, aud be eaten clean BY
both horses and cattle. Two years
trial has convinced the writer that such
objection does not exist In fact, what
ever 1t may do in theory.
While the writer has been conduct.
ing the experiments for his own diver
sion, with view to profit also in the
feeding of summer feed to farm stock,
more especially to mich cows, have
been agreeably surprised the past few
weeks with numerous calls from dairy
men from various parts Of the state. tn
Zee the practical working Of my exper-
iments, also to get information about
The varieties Of corn planted. and in
come instances to report experiments
of their own In the Same line. One
farmer came from quite distance to
see me and get my method Of cultiva-
ton, manner Of planting, and feeding.
the varieties Of corn planted. and such
other items of Interest as he might
gather. He told the writer that having
experimental with the different varle.
Ties Of corn for fodder, he had come to
the conclusion that sweet corn planted
In the manner stated In this article.
and fed with the corn after IL Is lit foi
boiling, till 1t is matured. Is the most
profitable feed for dairy cows that can
be grown to fill the gap that so often
occurs in the months Of July and Au-
gust from scarcity of green food) so
often experienced by all dairy farmers
unless special provision Is made fol
such contingencies. The farmer aliud-
ed to said that let those persons who
think and say that corn fodder Is moi
good feed for dairy COWS enjoy their
own opinion, but they need not tell u.
It Is not good for that purpose, for We
know better. From the conversation
of those persons who have visited me
the past few weeks, ] am fully con-
WINGED that there are other farmers
who are experimenting in relation to
the growing OF corn fodder for feeding
stock through the dry summer months |;
and goodIy number Of farmers have
come to the conclusion that sweet corn