Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-05-24
KING CORN.
A Letter That Every Farmer Should
Read Carefully.

JfbOHHe VI mHy IoIllt ny MT. ~. ".
Woles, of Massillon, Ohio Cotton il
not King. According to the returns Of
the department Of agriculture, the
value Of the cotton crop OF 1875 was
$272, 000, 900, while the value Of the corn
crop was returned at $685., 100000.
Corn is therefore the great leading
American crop. Next to corn, in value,
is the hay crop. In the same year this
was estimated ut $342,000,000. It il
plain, therefore, that whatever will in
crease the quantity Of this great leading
staple, or answer ~ u substitute by way
ofa forage crop, cannot fail to be Of
great public value. think that slbsti-
cute can be best found in that chief Of
American plants, corn, when sowcd and
reapcd for forage. II would be Of es-
pecial value in the South, where hay
docs not succeed M u crop. TO show
that this is not mere theory, will make
Il brief statemcntOf my experience with
BoWed corn on n somewhat extended
scale.
For the last three or four years have
wintcrcd, on m average, 1000 sheep,
80 head of cattle, and 20 head Of hcrses,
with no hay, and upon no other forage
than sowcd fodder corn md grain.
Roughly estimating the sheep to weigh |
100 pounds each and the horses and
cattle nj 1000 pounds each, We would |
have IL total gross weight oi 10000
pounds Olive stock. Az the Roth har-
ycster experiments Of lAwcs q Gilbert
have demonstrated thnt il requires |
about 3 per cent. Of the live weight Of
one Of these ANIMALS IN good timothy I
hay daily to support il IN good condi-
ton, il will be seen That the livestock
above mentioned would require about
thrce-and-a. half tons of hay daily for
their support and for the l20 days be-
tween Dec. and April [, APO tons But
M one fourth or more of their support
was supplied by grain, they really con.
sumed but about 800 tons Of fodder.
The books estimate IL ton Of tie fodder
corn grown and cured in manner
shall describe rs fully equal in value to
n ton Of the best timothy huy, and rs ,
worth two or three of corn fodder that
has grown u crop Of grain. This cst- !
mate is substantially justified in prac-
tioe. Now, ls the yield Of thoroughly :
driod hay will not exceed one and IL half /
tons to tho acre on M average, it iS 4
plain that TO have produced the qunnti- =
ty of hay required would have had 10 i
cut 2l0 acres 81 grass. II is nm uncom-
monty good crop that yields two tons !,
per aero. AT that rate il would have re- A
Iuired about lG0 acres Of grass. The !,
odder corn was the product Of sixty e
lorcs, and the yield was more than five !
ons Of dried fodder per acre, and TINT i,
II dry season. think itsafc to reckon
hat one aero Of fodder corn will pro- 4
luce NJ much and as good cattle food \
lsthrec to four acres Of hny. Al
now no GROW II. =,
The ground should bo put into good
ilth by blowing and narrowing and the n
eed sowcd during the first week in ha
une. have never sowcd sweet corn, 49,
nat always the common corn of the =
ountry. Repeated experiments have
royed two bushels Of shelled corn to WI
he acre to be the proper amount Of w
cod. ! SOW with tho common wheat ~
ril. using all thcspouts. After sowing "
othing more can be dono for the crop s''
i'll tho time Of cutting. The growth :,
vii OF course vary with the fertility of ?. -
he soil and with the season. The "
round should not bo too rich, or the W.
rowth will he too coarse and rank. :,
and Of medium fertility produces the W
rlghtcst and sweetest fodder. have :,
used stalks twelve feet in height. The vi
rowth Of 1876 averaged about nine ca
set; that OF 1877 which in this part of x
'hlo was u very dry season, about seven sa
,et
IL will DO sccn tho growing If the Sill
rop Is worry simple matter. What
othercd me most to learn and what ST
M come ut only after many trials and ~
npcatcd failures was the proper time ~
nd best way of harvesting and curing
10 crop. II cut too early il will sure W.
! mold; il left too late it becomes hard 81
nd woody, and incurs the risk Of frost. h,
should stand till the lower Joint turns W.
, bright yellow color This with us
: generally about Sept I III
now 10 HARVEST IN III
The most formidable task at first
ms the cutting, Corn-kmves, scythcs, &C
radles, and great variety of mowers
hu IVHPilG-hlheHilloS were tfleu sue ~
essively, only 10 fail or to bc too slow. y
no Champion sclf-rake roaping- 5
machine, made by Whitley, Fassier 4 III
Kelly, Springfield, o., isthe only imple- NJ
mont ! have found that will do the
york satisfactorily, however lodged and "
anglcd the fodder may I've. k
The reaper is driven around the field d
" in rca ing wheat Eight men can
'asily follow the machine. They aro 5,
divided into four couple, and of course, II
he field into four "stations.. Each h
couple is provided with HORSE" or, Z
IL Il is sometimes called, grass :
N ..hiuk \, nin,,l.. !, li..lI ~. n 4