The Democratic advocate., 1877-03-03
6he Sarnrer.
Corn Fodder.


A correspondent ofthe Chicago Tribune,
in letter on steam-feeding, gives the fol-
ing directions in regard to raising;
Last winter, owing to the failure Of the
hay crop, / kept my entire stock, consist.
ing Of twenty horses, about twenty head
of cattle, and between l,600 aud 100
sheep, without pound of hay, aud they
came into spring in better condition
than they have ever done on dry feed
The sheet anchor Of steam feeding is
the fodder of sowed corn, or, in short,
fodder-corn. Perhaps your readers will
be interested in the plans followed here in
sowing, harvesting, aud curing this crop,
as they differ in some respects from those
pursued and recommended by other prac-
teal farmers.
The ground is prepared the last week
in May by plOughing, and sufficient num-
ber of harrowings and rollings to bring it
into good tilth. The corn is sowed the
first week in June with Buckeye wheat
drill--all the hoes down and working-at
the rate of two bushels per acre. Nothing
more can be done to the crop till the lat
ter part of August or first of September,
when It is ready for harvesting.
This is done with Champion table-rake
reaper, rigged as for cutting wheat The
reaper is driven around the field as 10 cut
ting wheat, and delivers the fodder in
gavels at the side Eight men follow the
machine, arranged in four pairs, each pair
having, Of course, one-fourth of the circuit
of the field for station, and light
two-legged corn ''horse," like those in
common use for shocking corn Each
pair after taking its station, carries its
"horse" past two gayels, sets down the
''horse, stands four gayels into the four
angles formed by the "horse" and its cross
pin brings the tops Of the shock together
and ties them with wool twine, draws out
the cross-piu, and is ready for another
shock. For the eight followers, the team,
driver and machine, eight acres is fair
days work. The stalks themselves may
be used for tying the tops, but twine is
found to be sufficiently more expeditions
to compensate for the cost. After stand
ing ten to fifteen days, till the fodder is
nearly cured, and is in tough state, the
shocks are taken down, and each tied into
four or FIVE sheaves or bundles, the stalks
themselves, in this condition, making ex-
eellent bands, and twelve or more bundles
made into large shock, the tops being
secured either with fodder bands or with
the twine used in the first instance The
shocks stand in the field till they are
wanted for use.
Just here comes the most serious objec-
ton to the feeding of fodder-corn. There
are times in the winter when both weather
and roads are bad; when deeply-ploughed
corn field is anything but an agreeable
road bed for the hauling Of heavy loads,
when the fodder itself is wet, or covered
with sleet, ice, or snow, or its lower end
perhaps tightly glued to the ground by
frost. But the fodder is so charged with
rich saecharine matter that however dry
it may seem, and however cold the weather
may be, there is danger that if stored in
bulk in NOV, or even in stacks, it will
ferment, heat and spoil. At such times
it is well to have other feed under cover
70 depend upon,
An experience covering three years,
and the growth Of over 700 tons of fodder,
seems to warrant the following conclusions
l The fodder grows from Eve to twelve
feet in heighth, and averages from seven
to nine feet, depending on soils and seasons.
2 Fodder grown on land Of good aver.
age fertility stands better, and makes
better feed than on soil too rich, where
the growth is too tall, rank, and coarse.
3 The proper time for cutting is before
frost, of course, and when the lower six or
eight inches Of the stalk assumes yellow
ish tinge. 1t is then ripe. If cut sooner,
there is danger Of its moulding in the
shock; if later, the fibre is more woody,
and there is risk of frost
4 1t is vastly less dependent upon the
weather for its curing than hay. The
idea that fine weather is absolutely neees-
sary for its curing, and the fear that a
little rain would spoil all, was expressed
BY others, and felt by myself at first, but
turned out to be "bugaboo" During
the cutting and curing of the two largest
crops, very rainy weather was encountered;
yet not one-ffth Of per cent Of the fod-
der that stood in the shock, and was kept
from lying on the ground, moulded After
it is well secured in small shocks, neither
rain nor frost seems to damage it; as in
decd they do not usually do the large fod-
der that has matured corn.
A ton of bright fodder-corn is worth
more than three tons of corn fodder that
has matured grain, and as much as an
equal weight of good hay.
6 An average crop Of fodder-corn on
good land is sir tons per acre
Il may be grown at eost,---not in
eluding interest on price Of land, nor ex-
pcnse Of carrying from the field to the
barn, including expense Of preparing the
ground, seed, sowing, cutting, binding and
shocking, of about sl.30 per ton.
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