The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-06-14
A NEW INDUSTRY.
Germ as Fodder-A thance for Experiment
Very Profitable Crops Poasible.

sillon, Ohio, contributed paper To the
Chicago Tribune on the value of corr
raised solely for fodder. The attention
OF some Of our citizens was called to the
subject, and from their experiments and
Investigations they have become SO
thoroughly impressed with the impor.
lance and value of corn-fodder that at
their request we publish Mr.. Woless
communication in full: For the last
three or four years have wintered, or
an average, 1000 sheep, so head of cattle,
and 20 head of horses with no hay, and
upon no other forage than sown fodder
corn and grain. Roughly estimating
the sheep to weigh 100 pounds each, and
the horses and cattle at 1000 pounds
each, we would have a total gross weigh
of 270,0 900 pounds of live stock. As the
Roth harvester experiments of Law &
Gilbert have demonstrated that it
requires about three per cent. of the
live weight of one of these animals in
good timothy hay daily to support in
good condition, it will be seen that the
live stock above mentioned would require
about three and half tons of hay daily
for their support and for the days between
December 1st and April LIST, 42O tons
But as onesfourth or more of their sup
port 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 manner
| shall describe, as fully equal in value to
a ton of the best timothy hay, and as
worth two or three of corn fodder that
has grown crop of grain. This esh
mate is substantially justified in prac-
tice. Now, as the yield OF thoroughly
dried hay will not exceed one and one
half tons to the acre on an average, it is
plain that to have produced the quantity
of bay required, would have had to
cut 210 acres OF grass. 1t is an uncom.
monty good crop that yields two tons
per acre. At any rate il would have
required about 100 acres of grass. The
foddsr-corn was the product of sixty
acres, and the yield was more than hive
tons of dry fodder per acre, and that in
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 TO GROW 1T.
The ground should be put in good |
seed sowed during the first week in |
June. / have never sowed sweet corn,
but always the common corn of the |
country. Repeated experiments have
proved two bushels of shelled corn to the
acre to be the proper amount of seed.
/ SOW with the common wheat drill,
using all the spouts. After sowing,
nothing more can be done for the crop
till the time of cutting. The growth |
will of course vary with the fertility Of |
the soil, and with the season. TIE
ground should not be too rich, or the
growth will be too coarse and rank. |
Lsnd of medium fertility produces the |
brightest and sweetest fodder. / have |
raised stalks twelve feet in height. The |
growth of 1876 averaged about nine |
feet; that of 1877, which In this part OF |
Ohio was very dry season, about seven |
feet. 1t will be seen the growing of the |
crop is very simple matter. What |
bothered me most to learn, and what |
was come at only after many trials and |
repeated failures, wss the proper time |
and best way of harvesting and curing |
the crop. II cut too early It will surely |
mold II left too late it becomes hard |
and woody, and incurs the risk of frost.
1t should stand till the lower Joint turns
to bright yellow color. This, with us,
is generally about September LIST.
HOW TO HARVEST 1T.
The most formidable task at first was
the cutting. Corn.kniyes. scythes, Graz
dies and great variety of mowers and
reaping machines were tried successi.
Ixx 10. faf1 ~. he Toe, al
champion self,rake resping machine
made by Whitley, Fsssier & Kelly.
Springfield, Ohio, Is the only implement
that / have found that will do the work
satisfactory, however lodged and tangled
the fodder may be. The reaper il driven
around the field as in reaping wheat.
Eight men can easily follow the ma
chine. They are divided into four
couples, and, of course, the field into
four stations" Each couple is pro.
yided with Shore" or, as it is some>
times called, ggrasshopper," which is
simply light rail with two legs near
one end, and q hole near the middle, in
to which loosely fits movable pin alb, ut
four feet long The man carrying the
'shorse" passes by two sheayes-sets
down on the horse, puts in the pin, and,
gathering the sheaf ahead of him, stands
It in one of the angles formed by the pin
and horse. Then he gathers the next
sheaf next ahead of him and stands it in
another of the singles. His artner, in the
has been doing Che same thing
with the two sheayes behind the horse.
30 that by this time we have the four
angles of the horse filed and small !
,hnek hui1t The 1aadar thar Wit n A % xuo l
Bhe pin--draws out his horse and goes
IN past the next two sheayes. His
partner draws the tor Of the shock