Connecticut western news., 1880-06-23
FARM AND GARDEN.
THE SYSTEM OF rvsn.Aar.

States was MT. Francis Morris, of Oak land Manor, Howard county, Maryland. | He commenced in 1876. He says: "In a very long experience in raising stock, I have found corn fodder preserved on the ensilage principle the best for milch | COWS that I have ever used" That green corn fodder can be kept several months in state to be readily eaten by cattle, and also that they keep in a good condi- tion on 1t, seems to be thoroughly dem- onstrated by M. Gofart, MT. Morris and MT. Bailey; there also seems to be good reason to believe that by following a crop of corn with crop of winter rye, at least forty tons of green fodder can be obtained from one acre of land in a year. If 62 pounds of ensilage day is sufficient food for COW, then an acre will keep three COWS for an entire year, with enough left to keep another more than six months. Incredible as this may seem, it is the lowest figures of all those who have had experience in raising and feeding ensi- lage; possibly they have over estimated the quantity that can be grown on an acre, but M. Goffart gives us to under stand that he weighed the product and it averaged forty tons of corn fodder to the acre with ordinary culture. If he could get that amount could we not safe ly predict that we could by sowing rye and get two crops, do as well? But SUD- pose only two COWS could be kept on an acre, it would be great advance on the old system, and is well worthy the care full consideration of those who are inter- ested in the production of milk and butter.
 The seed corn that is usually selected to plant for ensilage is that which pro- duces the largest amount of fodder ]; whether this is best will be decided by future experiments. When stock is kept entirely on green fodder there will no longer be any use for large barns, and no longer any danger of losing the winter store of dry hay, by fire from the pipe of passing tramp. When new build ings are to be built, it will be as cheap to build silos as to build the additional room necessary to store dry hay. Barns for the stock will be built in different and cheaper manner than they now are. A silo once built will cost but trifle to keep it in repair except the roof.
 CORN FODDER.
 A correspondent, writing from Penn Yan, N. Y., to the Elmira Farmers Club on the subject of fodder-corn, says :- "More value can be obtained from one bushel of seed per acre for fodder-corn than two. That is what I recommend for winter use, and half the amount if fed green. MT. G. s. McCann may be correct in his opinion that crop of corn planted in the ordinary way will have more feeding value than crop of fodder corn from two or three bushels per acre, but that does not prove that it will be worth more than crop of fodder-corn drilled with one bushel to the acre. I think fodder-corn for winter use should be cut and set up in the ordinary way about the time the ears begin to glaze to secure the greatest value in the stalks. There would be danger of the large ears of corn, planted in the ordinary way, moulding if the season should be wet. Another objection there would be toe great proportion of ears to the stalks for common farm stock. I find that but few farmers can give up the idea o1 planting corn. I am confident from numerous experiments that can pro- l duce from one-fourth to one-third more corn from drilling than from planting. If the soil is properly fitted and the corn kept free from grass and weeds the ears
 will average larger than from planted corn. Stalks of corn from six to twelve inches apart in a TOW have much bet
 ter chance than three or four in close
 hill. The best implement have ever
 found for fitting corn ground after il
 was plowed is spring tooth harrow. II
 has advantages which no other imple,
 ment of the kind has,"
 N. J.sStrong, Fairfield, Mich. before
 the same club said "' From our present
 manner of raising we now get good re, l turns, It is this As soon as our main
 crop is planted we fit as much ground as
 is thought needfn to carryour COWS from
 about the 1st of August through to the
 1st of January. Mark one way, about
 four feet apart then take the corr
 planter and set it to drop from seven te
 nine kernels and make the hills about
 fifteen to eighteen inches apart in the rows. Cultivate as often as needful anc fine growth of stalks and considerable corn will be produced. As sood as needed we commence cutting for our COWS. Jus , as it is getting out of the milk we cut ant shock. We find it most convenient t, bind in bundles before shocking, then @ we draw to the stables it is more con venient to handle, giving one bundle t. , each COW. As cold weather cores on will do to stack. We sprinkle littl
 salt to each load and think it goo plan to salt all our corn fodder in tn
 mow."
 ] E,.4Et CANADA THISTLEs. --.- Y
 From Maine comes the following letter
 which certainly seems to point at an eas :, way of destroying Canada thistles, an
 perhaps some other troublesome plants i which are not easily killed by ordinar
 means: "I commenced farming in 184 | on land abounding in certain places o T T the farm with Canada thistles. One du = day when they were in bloom I ws r moving bed of them, and the raj |, compelled me to leave before I fnishe :, the job. but I finished it after the rail