Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-06-10
FARM, GARrZN AND HOUSEHOLD,
Corn Fodder.

The practice of growing crop of
corn fodder to supplement the failing
midsummer pasture is growing more
and more in favor every season. During
July the feed becomes dry and brown,
and COWS fall off in both milk and flesh
if there is not some provision made for
tiding over the time until fall rains have
revived the pastures, or the cattle are
turned into the newly seeded fields,
greatly to the detriment of the latter.
This habit. with the equally pernicious
one of allowing stock to roam over
moving lands from the time the hay is
cut until cold weather, is gradually
giving away to the sensible one Of pro-
viding fodder crops. The stalk crop is
of great importance in this connection
Corn for feeding both in a green state
during summer and dry one during
winter can hardly be overestimated in
value.
There is, indeed, but little if any diff
ference OF opinion as to the merits of
fodder though there exists a variety of
practices concerning the manner Of rails
ing and curing the crop. Sweet corn
has come to be preferred over other va
rieties for this purpose as there is not
near the waste to this fodder there is to
the gourd-seed sorts. The majority of
farmers now drill the seed in, though
occasionally it is sown broadcast A
plan which brings good results is plant
ing in drills three feet apart (and about
six inches between the stalks). Thicker
planting will make more fodder, but it
loses in quality what is gained in guam
tity. Many OF our best farmers are US
ing only one to one and half bushels
of seed per acre. This amount gives a
yield sufficiently thin to allow the
stalks to stand up in ordinary sum mer
weather to gain the full effect of sun
light and air For early use the first
planting of fodder corn should be early,
OF course, but the seed can be put in any
time during July with good results, as
it makes q heavy growth on land COM
paratively dry and in dry weather.
During the season the crop ought to
be cultivated several times. 1t is best
to begin as soon as the plants are out of
the ground by running a cultivator close
to the rows. Corn fodder may be fed
green when two feet high.
All forage crops give best results
which are cut before they are out of
bloom. Corn is no exception to this
rule, but owing to the difficulty some
experience in curing it in an immature
state it is often allowed to become too
ripe before cutting. Chemical analysis
has demonstrated that fodder deteri-
crates in two ways by standing, namely,
by the lessened proportion of albumin
oids and by decreased digestibility.
Another objection to permitting the
stalks to stand until the ears are per-
fected is that they grow so tall that
they are troublesome to handle, and are
more liable to fall and lodge under
hard stone. Furthermore, early-cut
fodder is in itself complete ration,
rich enough in albuminoids to make
good feed without mixing with other
materials. Last, but by no means least,
the greener the crop when taken off the
land the less exhaustion to the soil
Nes0 York World.
Analysis OF Root Crops.
From paper on the nutritiVe value of
root crops in the last report of the Massa-
chusetts board of agriculture, by II. E.