The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-07-04
Farm and Home.
AND USEFUL INFORMATION
CORN IS KING.
Corn-Fodder Grown as a Substitute
For Hay.

Cotton Is not King. According
to the returns of the Department of
Agriculture, the money value of
the cotton crop Of 1875 was 1922,
100000, 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 at $342,
100000. 1t is plain, therefore, that
whatever will increase the quantity
of this great leading staple, or an
swer as a substitute by way of a
forage crop, cannot fail to be of
great public value. [ think that a
substitute can best be found in that
chief of American plants, corn,
when sowed and reaped for forage.
1t would be of especial value to the
South, where hay does not succeed
as crop. To show that this is not
mere theory, | will make a brief
statement of my experience with
sowed corn on a somewhat extend
ed scale. '.For the last three or
four years 1 have wintered, on an
average, 1000 sheep, so head OF cat
tie and 20 head of horses, with no
hay, and upon no other forage
than sowed fodder, corn and grain"
Roughly estimating the sheep to
weigh 100 pounds each, and the
horses and cattle 1000 pounds
each. we would have a total gross
weight of 100000 pounds of live
stock. AS the Roth harvester ex-
perimerts of Lawes d Gilbert have
demonstrated that it requires 3 per
cent of the live weight of one of
these ANIMALS in good timothy hay
daily to support it in good condi-
ton, it will be seen that the live
stock above mentioned would re-
qUire about 81 tons of hay daily for
their support, and for the l2O days
between December l and Apail l,
420 tons. But as one fourth or
more of their support was supplied
by grain, they really consumed but
about 800 tons of fodder. The
books estimate ton of the fodder
corn grown and cured in a manner
L shall descibe as fully equal in val
ue to ton of the best timothy hay,
and as worth two or three of corn
fodder that has grown a crop of
grain. This estimate is substantial
ly justified in practice. Now, as
the yield of thoroughly dried hay
will not exceed one and a half tons
to the acre on an average, it is plain
that to have produced the quantity
of hay required ] would have had
to cut 210 acres of grass. It is an
uncommonly good crop that yields
two tons per acre. At that rate it
would have required about I6O
acres of grass. The fodder corn
was the product of go acres, and
the yield R@s more than five tons
of dried fodder per acre, and that
in a dry season. | think it safe to-
reckon that one acre Of fodder corn
will produce as much and as good
cattle food as three or four acres of
hay,
HOW 40 GROW 1T.
The ground should be put into
good filth by blowing and harrow
ing, and the seed sowed during the
first week in June. l have never
sowed sweet corn, but always the
common corn of the country. Re-
peated experiments have proved
two bushels of shelled corn to the
acre to be the proper amount Of
seed. / SOW with q common wheat
drill, using all the spOuts. After
sowing, nothing more can be done
for the crop till the time for cutting
it. The growth will Of course vary
with the fertility Of the soil and
with the season. The ground
should not be too rich, or the
growth will be too coarse and rank.
Land of medium fertility produces
the brightest and sweetest fodder.
have raised stalks l . feet in height.
The growth of 1915 averaged about
9 feet; that of 1877, which in this
part OF Ohio was a very dry season,
was about Z feet.
1t will be seen the growing of the
crop is a very simple matter. What
bothered me most to learn, and
what was come at only after many
trials and repeated failures, was the |
proper time and best way of har-
vesting and curing the crop If cut
too early it will surely mould; if |
left too late it becomes hard and |
woody, and incurs the risk of frost. |
1t should stand till the lower JOINT |
turns to a bright yellow color.
This with us is generally about
September L.
HOW To HARVEST 1T.
The reaper is driven around the
field as in reaping wheat. Eight
men can easily follow the machine.
They are divided into four couples,
and, of course, the field into four sta
tions. Each couple provided with
what is called a "grasshopper,"
which is simply a light rail with
two legs near one end, and a hole
in the middle, into which fits a
movable pin about four feet long.
The man carrying the"grasshopper"
passes by two sheaves-sets down
the ran, puts IN Jne PIN, ana gain
ering the sheaf ahead of him stands
it in one of the angles formd by
the pin and rail. Then he gathers
up the sheaf next ahead of him, and
stands it in another of the angles.
His partner in the meantime, has
been doing the same thing with the
two sheaves behind the rail. So
that by this time we have the four
angles of the rail filled and a small
shock built. The leader then with
draws the pin-draws out his rail
and goes on by the next two
sheaves. His partner draws the
top of the shock neatly together,
and binds it either with band of
stalks, or, what for saving time l
prefer, yard of twlne.
These small shocks are suffered
to stand about ten days or two
weeks. They are then opened and
bound into four sheayes each, the
fodder, which by this time is partly
cured and very tough, making ex-
celIent bands. Twelve of these
sheaves are then formed into large
shock, the tops bound with the
z