The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-21

corn is sowed the first week in June
with a buckeye wheat drill-all the
hoes down and working-at a rate Of
two bushels per acre. Nothing more
can be done to the crop till the latter
part Of August or first of September,
when it is ready for harvesting. ~
This is done with Champion table.
rake reaper. rugged as for cutting
wheat. The reaper is driven around
the field as in cutting wheat, and de-
livers the fodder in gavels at the side.
Eight men follow the machine, arrang.
ing in four pairs, each pair having, of
course, one fourth of the circuit of the
field for a "station," and light two.
legged corn ''hocse,'' like those in
common use for shocking corn. Each
pair, after taking its station, carries
its "horse'' past two gavels, sets down
the "horse," stands four gayels into
the four angles formed by the ''horse''
and it's cross.pin, brings the top of the
shock neatly together, and ties them
with wool Irvine, draws out the cross
pin, and is ready for another shock.
For the eight followers, the team, driv-
ers, and machine, eight acres is fair
days work. The stalks themselves
may be used for tying the tops, but
Irvine is found to be sufficiently more
expeditions to compensate for the cost,
After standing ten to fifteen days, till
the fodder is nearly cured, and is in a
tough state, the shocks are taken
down, and each tied into four or five
sheaves or bundles, the stalks them
selves, in this condition, making ex.
cellent bands, and twelve or more
bundles made into large shock, the
tops being secured either with fodder
bands, or with the Irvine used in the
first instance. The shocks stand in
the field till they are wanted for use.
Just here comes in the most serious
objection to the feeding of fodder.
corn. There are times in the winter
weather and roads are bad, when a
deeply-plowed corn-aeld is anything
but an agreeable road-bed for the
hauling of heavy loads when the fod-
der itself is victor 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 sac
charine matter however dry it may be,
there is danger that if stored in bulk
in a NOW, or even in stacks, it will
ferment heat and spoil. At such times
it is we'll to have other feed under cover
to 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 five to
twelve feet in height, and averages
from seven to nine feet, depending on
soils and seasons.
2. Fodder grown on land of good
average 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 yellowish tinge. 1t is then
ripe. If cut sooner, there is danger
of it's moulding In the shock if later,
the fibre is more woody, and there is
risk of frost.
4. It is vastly less dependent upon
the weather for it's curing than hay.
The idea that fine weather is absolute.
ly necessary for it's 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 a
''bug-aboo." During the cutting and
curing of the two largest crops, very
rainy weather was encountered; vet
not one.fifth of per cent of the fodder
that stood in the shock, and was kent