Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-14
Agricultural.
m short oTuav.

- HFAWAA W. AAnes
We have been again cut of from the usual
second crop Of hay. There is less rowen than
we had last year but few pieces have been
cut the second time, and these have yielded
but little Much Of the corn.fodder, which Is
now moro than formerly used as a substitute
for hay, has been injured by the early frost
Where the first crop Of grass was light, as in
many localities in this part of tho state, there
will be great need of economiziug the winter
forage When plenty of meal is used little
hay may be made to go a great way. Mr.
Miller, living in western New York, has kept
cows in the winter season for months without
other feed than meal, and he claims that they
do equally as well, when not giving milk, as
hay.fed cattle.
Hay may be saved by making tho most of
the corn fodder, which is far from valueless
even when badly injured by frost. II the
corn was cut up before tho frost, or if, fortu.
nately. it was in a place that escaped it, it
may be cured this dry season so as to be near
ly equal to good hay to feed in connection
with little meal Cattle always eat the
leaves and the upper part of the stalks of we'll
cured corn. fodder with great relish. We are
inclined to believe that the principal reason
why they do not eat the butts and larger stalks
as well is the difficulty of mastcatng them,
though the leaves and upper part of the stalks
contain more of some of the elements of nu-
triton. If dry corn fodder was cut up as fine
as for ensilage we believe that when cattle
became accustomed to it the stalks would be
consumed without waste Fed with a mode
rate quantity of grain to supply the albumin
ods, good corn fodder is no doubt equal to
the best of hay fed alone.
Straw may also be supplemented by grain
rations so as to give as good or better results
than good hay alone Prof. Sanborn in his
feeding experiments at the New Hampshire
college farm, found that 10 pounds of oat
straw with six pounds of cottonseed meal, per
day, gave better results than IS pounds of
good timothy hay. These rations were fed
to two lots of two.yoar old steers, the trial
continuing 40 days. The lot fed daily with
43 pounds of timothy hay gained Ia pounds
per day the lot fed 10 pounds of straw and
six pounds of cottonseed meal gained >. ID
pounds per day. Six pounds of bran, with
about the same quantity of straw (l9 lbs
gave gain of 30 pounds per day. In anoth-
err experiment, continued 70 days, a pair of
steers fed isl pounds of timothy hay per day
gained 12i pounds pair fed 81 pounds OF
straw and five pounds of corn meal gained %
pounds in the same time. Prof. Sanborn also
made extensive experiments in feeding corn
fodder with meal and other concentrated foods
with favorable results.
Besides substituting, to considerable ex
tent, other foods for hay, there is another OBJ
vious remedy for short supply, and that is
to sell stock till what remains corresponds to
the size of the hay -mows. The deficiency in
the hay crop is only local. covering but
small area. In the country generally ther,
was more than an average crop. For thi,
reason there will be a good demand some
where for all kinds of live stock. Fat cattle
are, of course, always in demand at such pric
es as the market affords. Though not quite
up to what they have BEEN quotations ar,
still high in the cattle market reports. There
ought to be no difficulty in disposing of sur
plus stock at good prices