News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-09-25
FARM AND GARDEN.

Corn CUTTING.-A liberal supply of
corn fodder is very essential to the
farmer; together with a good straw
stack for stock it is quite considera-
tion. The corn is cut high and set in
small shocks, twelve hills square; these
must be tied together at the top to make
them stand up. My plan is to cut low
and set in high shocks, at least sixteen
hills square. If care is taken to set up
such shock straight and even it will
stand without tying. Corn cut low not
only keeps better but is less liable to be
damaged by deep SHOWS or drifts, or by
rabbits, squirrels, etc. Then when
shocks stand exposed to the weather for
any length of time during the fall and
winter, considerable part of the out
side IS weatherbeaten SO as to be of lit
tie value, while the inside of the shock
makes tirst-class food. In a small
shock the per cent. of good fodder is
obviously much less in proportion than
in a large shock. My plan is always
to tie the first inside hills together and
then cut all around the shock, carrying
direct to the shock. 1t always seemed
poor economy to me to cut and put In
piles and then pick up again. After
the shock is fairly started the first hills
can be cut loose and let stand, as the
shocks, if proper pains are taken to set
up even on all sides and the stalks stand
reasonably straight, will stand up well
all winter. Another decided advantage
in having the corn cut low is, that it
leaves the land in better condition to
pillow the next spring. Flowing among
high corn-stalks is very trying to pa
tience to say the least, and would al
ways prefer to cut corn low ON this ac-
count aloue.-N. j. SHEPHERD.
FEEDING GREEN CoRN.-Mr. A, B.
Allen, writes to the National Live Stock
Journal, suggesting that farmers and
stockmen who have steers to fatten this
fall, should commence feeding corn as
soon as it gets in the milk, as at this
stage it is highly serviceable in hasten
ing the fattening of steers in pasture.
The suggestion is an excellent one, for
the soft or green corn is easily digested,
and is probably even more valuable for
feeding stock than when it is fully ripe
1t has been claimed, and we think with
good reason, that an acre of corn in this
condition will make twenty per cent.
more beef than when fully ripe. 1t is
also better TO feed young and growing
pigs with than ripe corn, as it is all d.
gested, as may be seen by an examipa-
ton of the droppings of animals fed
upon it. Farmers who have plenty of
corn cannot do better than to begin feed
ing it while it is in a succulent state.
FARMERS ACCOUNTS. - every farm.
er," says an agricultural exchange,
''should understand enough of business
to know the cost of all his productions;
should be able to tell the cost of an acre
of grain, so that when he sells, it will be
possible for him to determine the profit
or loss, as well as be workman. Every
body is complaining of the hard times,
and none more so than the farmers, for
prices are low, and unfortunately we
have not learned to bring our expenses
down to correspond, and to raise our
productions up to paying profits over ex-
penses. The greatest expense we have
is interest ON borrowed money, and there
is hardly farmer to-day who is not in
debt for his capital, and which must be
paid whether or no. That takes one
third of the grass crop. The next is the
waste in the family and barn; this leak
GILL NC SdollN ISIlCuICOl IL AOlu VI
in time. The last-which is never con-
sidered-is the loss of fertility with every
crop. Times will become still harder
unless these especial expenses are cur
tailed. Many farmers will say that the
land will wear out naturally, and we can
not make it pay all the time. The Old
World teaches us that the yield can be
increased by feeding the land, and by
proper cultivation, so that we can double
the present returns"
FRUIT TREES. farmer should
plant few fruit trees every year. An
orchard should be treated as crop, not
as a permanent establishment. It should
be cultivated under the same conditions,
too, if it is expected to yield profitable
return. A small orchard well kept is
ike little farm well tiled; indeed, it is
q part and parcel of such little farm.
The orchard should be given the ole
possession of the soil, and it should
have its regular manuring, as other
crops have. Young trees especially re-
quire this and regular cultivation as
well. 1t is supposed that fruit trees re-
quire many years to come into bearing.
This is true if they suffer neglect and
have to exert all their strength to live.
1t is only the surplus vigor over that
needed to maintain an existence that is
expended in fruit. In this respect fruit
tree and COW are precisely alike. If
farmer should treat his COWS as some
treat their orchards, there would be very
little milk or butter or cheese on that
farm. But if the orchard is treated as
well as the COWS are it will thrive and
yield as much or more profit as any
other part of the farm, acre for acre.