Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-01-08

CATTLE AND CORN SMUT.-A meeting
of an association of the farmers of Lancas
ter county, Neb., was held at Lincoln, De.
cember 7th. 1t was not only interesting
but instructive. After the disposal of bus.
mess pertaining to the fair grounds, an in
terchange OF views was had on the corn.
smut question. Many cattle have died
during the present fall, in this county, and,
in fact, all through Nebraska.
Mr.. Dawson, of the firm of Messrs.
Bride e. Dawson, of Lincoln, made u state
ment that was new, and took many of
those present by surprise. He is very
certain that smut in corn never killed an
animal of any kind, but that the great
amount of dry shucks that hungry ami
NAL will eat is the real cause of death and
not smut. A great many farmers compel
their cattle to rely for their subsistence
entirely upon what they find in the corn
stalk field, and they fill themselves SO full
that the mass of dry shucks impedes if
not entirely suspends digestion, and no
amount of drugs will give action 10 the
bowels. He thinks the thriftless farmer
loses most in this way us he compes his
cattle to live in the stalk field. His plan
is to feed his cattle at the barn on corn and
hay, to about half their needs, and turn
them on the stalks for II few hours each
day, and let them eat whatever they can
lind, whether OF corn, smut and shucks,
and he never loses any, and is satisfied he
never will with this management. They
will not so greedily eat so many shucks
when fed in this way. Again, Mr.. Daw-
EG inl hn
els of cattle should be kept somewhat
loose by II moderate supply of corn, and
then indigestion will not take place. He
strongly deprecates the plan of starving
cattle TO make them fill themselves full Of
dry corn shucks. Here lies the whole
trouble. Mr.. Dawson's plan is this ::
When he takes his cattle off grass he feeds
them little corn and good hay, increas-
ing the corn from day 10 day, until half
the need is thus supplied, and no danger
in the stalk field need be feared. If cattle
are to be kept cheaply, they had better be
fed on straw and hay, than to allow them
to make their living in the stalk field. A
great many people, he says, do not know
how to feed pig, calf or COW.
Mr., Morse lets his cattle to hay, then
into the stalks for two hours; then to wa
ter, then to hay again; but by this plan he
has lost some cattle; fed no corn.
Mr.. Dawson-Did your milch COWS
which you fed regularly on corn Or bran,
and then let into the stalks with the other
cattle, die?
Mr.. Morse-No.
Mr.. Williams mainly concurred with
Mr.. Dawson in his management, and, in
pursuing similar plan, had lost no cattle
in nine years. He thinks the cause of the
disease is in the indigestible shucks, in.
stead of smut. He lets his cattle of one
hundred head on stalks only p few hours
each day.
Prof. Thompson said that in conversa-
ton with Mr. Cheney he learned from that
gentleman that he lost one animal before
turning en- stalks, and after turning to
stalks lost six more. He thinks to keep
hem on stalks n small portion of each
day will obviate all difficulties.
Mr.. Williams mentioned an individual |
who fed smut to two animals, they eating
t greedily and abundantly, but found no
Il effects from it. lie also ate some him
elf without any injury
Mr.. Strader would plant pumpkin seeds
III over the corn field, cultivate without
my regard to the pumpkin vines, and
when the corn is gathered out, turn the