Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-01-31
agricultural.


Does 1t Pay to Raise Corn in Vermont
The farmers of Vermont are, on the
whole, more anxious to have the price of
Western corn low than high, they buy so
much more than they sell. Probably
more money goes out of the state of Ver-
mont annually for corn or meal and flour
than the butter brings in.
Taking it for granted that it is for the
interest of every farmer to feed more or
less grain, the question is, shall he raise it
or buy it? My recollection of farm-life
goes back more than fifty years, and l can
not recall II single year when l have not
helped cultivate the yellow corn; and
during that long period there have been
but two or three seasons when the crop
WIS II total failure.
Fifty bushels Of shelled corn to the aero
may be considered II good crop; and yet
one hundred bushels have been raised even
in cold Vermont; but that great yield
cannot be reached without manuring very
high and planting very thick, and then,
pcrchunce. if the weather is hot it may
ear well and great yield be the result.
But if the season is amy way unflvorablc,
and the corn is planted thick, then there
will he more fodder than corn, 50 it is SAT
est to 90 for the medium crop.
1t is my way Of late to plant upon the
sward, blowing sometimes in the fall and
sometimes in the spring, and spreading
upon the surface twenty carloads of yard
or stable manure to the acre, and using
ten or twelve loads in the hill. This last
is mostly sand on which the hogs have
breathed the year previous Sand is Il
very good absorbent, If used under cover,
and its warmth and hog flavor is just
what the corn crop requires.
Corn, in this latitude, should be planted
rs early as the Goth or 25lh of May, but
earlier or later than these dates will do
some seasons.
My rule is TO take pains in planting corn
if it don't get hoed much. The old, fash
toned way Of killing up corn and blowing
deep between the rows should be avoided.
All that is needed in hoeing it is to stir the
soil lightly around the hill and be sure TO
keep down the weeds.
One important item in the corn crop is
the fodder, which, if rightly taken care OF,
is equal to fair crop of hay. The most
common way is to cut up and stock the
corn early in September, and let it stand
through wind and rain until snow flies,
when the fodder is nearly spoiled. But IL
much better way is to let it stand in the
stock few days only and wilt and then
husk the corn, bind up the stalks and stand
them in shed or in the barn loft, and
they make the best of feed; and then the
land is ready to seed down TO grass in
good season, if desired.
Forty Or fifty bushels of corn to the
acre can be raised on most of our Yer
mont farms, which, at Seventy.fve cents
per bushel, will amount to thirty or thirty
seven and IA half dollars. The fodder, es-
timaIed us being equal to ton and u half
of hay, say fifteen dollars, would increase
the sum to fifty dollars, and the common
practice is TO include some pumpkins OF
beans, which may be done without detri.
ment TO the future grass crop.
Now for the cost in labor-plowing and
narrowing, six dollars, manuring, eight
dollars, planting and hoeing, ten dollars,
and harvesting, ten dollars, which amounts
to the sum of thirty four dollars, leaving
margin of sixteen dollars, and the land
in frst-rato condition for future crops.
My practice is not to take but one cror
from meadow land before stocking tc
grass.
Now all have written is very common
place, and what every farmer knew before
how TO raise crop of corn-and my
sole object in this communication is to call
the attention of my brother farmers to the
idea of raising instead of buying the corn
they use. f. w.B.