The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-06-23

We make the following extract from
letter of Mr. Francis Morris, of Howard
county, Maryland, published in M. Gof-
fart's book. He says:
al sowed on the LIST of August, 1876
about FIVE acres, in drills, three feet
apart, and about a bushel of corn to
the acre. This was worked twice with
cultivator, and was In tassel in
the first days of October. We cut
the same with moving machine,
carried it in wagons to the feed-cut-
ter, cut it up in one inch pieces, and
added to it an amount of wheat straw.
cut up in thesame manner, equal to one
fifth of the corn fodder. had three
silos bricked up inside stone barn.
The silos were about ten feet deep, and
four feet wide, and twenty -four feet long.
The fodder was well packed down by
trampling while the mixture was put
away, and then covered with boards,
with large heavy stones upon them.
After the weights had pressed it down
very considerably, they were taken off, the
boards covered with straw, and then with
clay the latter were thoroughly packed,
and the whole was made a perfect pro-
lection against the oxygen of the atmos-
phere penetrating through the clay or
earth. The first silo was opened for use
on Christmas, and 1 fed my milking COWS
with the same. Two of them refused to
eat their portions, and when they left
their stalls the other COWS ate it; and
from that day have never fed it to an
animal that has refused it-Rorses, mules,
oxen, cows, sheep, and pigs, will all leave
any other feed and eat this by choice.
In the year 1877, from want of person
al attention, and from very dry time,
my corn fodder was not as large crop
as it should have been but it was suffi-
cient to feed nearly thousand head of
stock for over two months; it was
equally good in quality as it was in 1876.
For this year | have more than double
the quantity of this fodder have made
and filled a very large silo out of DOORS
which will probably hold from fifty to
seventy-five tons, besides filing the three
silos in my barn. I have very large
herd of stock depending on my corn fod-
der for their winter feed, and I feel eve,
confidence that it will furnish me all the
feed require. In very long expe-
rience in feeding stock, have found corn
fodder preserved as above stated the
best food for milking cows that I have
ever used. 1t is equal if not superior, to
June grass, and its cultivation is SO easy.
its preservation so inexpensive, that to-
day no one can estimate its advantage to
the agriculturist. The average hay crop
OF the State of New York is not equal to
one ton per acre, and every farmer know
what costly crop it is to raise, to cure
and to preserve after it is raised, while
our Indian corn crop will grow and flour
ish and tassel with the most ordinary
care and tillage twenty-five tons to
the acre, with light dressing of barn
yard manure, and working it twice with
cultivator is a small crop Add to the
barn-yard manure dressing of guano,
and more than double that quantity can
be raised per acre. am almost afraid to
state the quantity that can be raised to the
acre. Suppose, however we put the pro-
duct down to twenty-five tons per acre
and every one who has raised corn sowed
broadcast, will recognize this as a small
crop-what will be the result in the
good State of New York if one-tenth of
her arabic land is used in this way?
Where is the stock to feed upon the new
supply Of food? 1t is not here, we should
have to double the number of our horses
sheep, cows and all our stock, and after
we have done that we should have to
double them again. In fact the amount
of stock that could be maintained is so
great that we should be wholly indepen-
dent of the West, for the most liberal
supply of beef and mutton will be sup
Piled by the cultivation ofour own lands.
The old adage "no cattle, no corn"
is fully verified by our wheat produc-
ton in this State. The lands are all SO
indifferent in quality, that he must be
a bold farmer who sows field of wheat
but the. corn fodder, which it is now
proposed to raise, will give such yearly
amount of manure as will enable every
farmer to get wheat crop of thirty or
forty bushels to the acre, and to succeed
that by good clover. After that is done.
his progress to a maximum yield of
cereals will be very rapid, and I have
every confidence that the crops of this
country, blessed with its tropical sun.
will exceed in value and Importance that
of any other agricultural country that
can be named f|.H
December, 1873.