Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-12-18
CONCERNING CATTLE.
a Cow Per Acre the Year Round. al
somesimes Two

directions for raising forage crops and
feeding them to stock He would Ike
q table that viii Ds a perfect guide. so
that he can know by consulting il
through the season just what crops to
sow and how much land to devote TO
each. also Just when each crop would
be ready to cut and feed and how lcng
il would last n given number Of ami
mails. He would have soiiing cattle ne
duced to an exact science. but until
seasons cease 20 vary. frosts to freeze
and tempests 20 blow, and until insects
no longer molest our crops in the seed,
leaf or fruit, fear that no one will be
able to Law down rules for farmers to
plant or reap by, which viii work
smoothly and surely under all condi-
tons.
The farmer who sets out 20 keep a
single COW or herd, either by pastur-
ing or by soiling. should pay something
in the way Of insurance against drought
OF other adverse conditions that may
arise. To do this nothing is nee ded ex-
cept to provide for raising little more
fodder than it is expected viii be
needed. Always lay plans for a season
n little below the average. and strive
to have n small surplus constantly on
hand for feeding all the stock. As near
" all the forage crops can be easily
cured by drying. when they viii maze
good food for feeding at any season Of
the year. there Is no necessity for max
ing very close figures when laying out
a set of rules to be followed in sOiiing
cattle.
From nv own experience | have no
hesitation in saving that one aere OF
good land is A. much as one will need
for keeping n mature COW through the
summer. aud in ar average season. II
the land Is kept constantly in veil
chosen crops and Is made fairly fertile.
one acre should afford two cows al the
forage they viii need in addition 10
ration Of grain. which may in m;Iny
sections be purchased IS cheaply as IL
can be raised. Still. | would want 4
NOW Of dry hay or other cured fodder
TO fall back upon at all times for feed
ing rainy DAYS. Sundays. or when the
green crOIs failed to connect. n might
occasionally be the case. Neither would
I object to an occasional feeding Of dry
fodder as \ change or corrective at
any time when giving greea food
chiefly.
The kinds of fodder to grow for soil
ing purposes may be varied according
to existing conditions. In my own 10
cality and wherever rye will grow. |
should count that as one Of the leading
crops. not because Il is the best Of food.
though il is excellent for 4 short time.
isIt because it can be raised when and
where nothing else would be grown. and
II comes at \ time when nothing else
green can be secured. Ii can be sOwn
at intervals of two weeks from the be-
ginning of September TO the middle or
/ last OF November, but with increasing
risks as the season advances /:
Clover. orchard grass. June grass and
| the other early pasture grasses are gen.
eraily ready for turning stock into by
the time the rye and wheat get too hard
for feeding. which in the case Of the rye
will be a little before il comes into
bloom. II one has no pasture. these
early grasses NAV be grown for now
/ ing. and they viii be fit To cut about "A
soon as the wheat i headed out II no
grass IS grown, spring rye viii be the
first crop that can be grown from spring
seeding; next oats or wheat; then bar
lev. Two or three seedlings of either
or each Of these spring grains may be
sown for cuttings in succession or till
the season is advanced enough to begiE
feeding the early paintings OF corn
During the hot summer weather corn or
some Of the millets should be the chief
dependence. though clover and the other
meadow grasses may be used freely
when they are abundant and IN eondi-
ton TO cut
l formerly raised the large dent corn
for fodder and sOwed il thickly IN drills.
bat latterly my experience with lodged
and rotten fodder corn" has inclined
me 10 grow only one kind of corn for
fodder or for grain. and that. the vari-
etv that is deemed best for the neigh
b0rhOod where grOwn- A large flint
corn that has stalks eight feet high, car
ries broad. vigorous leaves and pro-
duoes eighty bushels Of grain per acre,
will. il cut any time from the bloom 10
the milk IN the ear, make about as good
and about rs cheap cattle food as
know how TO produce With the ears
on. the weight viii be very heavy. and
and there viii b. little need Of giving
cows much other grain when feeding
this. By cutting such corn and shock
inc il in large shocks, the fodder viii
Keep well for feeding in summer till 4
becomes pretty dry and the gra l.
ripe enough to husk and crib
For fall feeding. after the green corn
and milleis are gone, l have found
nothing equal TO spring barley s1wn
at intervals Of two weeks from July
10 TO near the last of August Oats
are more subject to rust; Otherwi
they would be as good rs barley for
late fall feeding. | have clt profitable
crBDs OF barley several times after the
ground had begun to freeze quite hard
as winter approached / have also
had rood success with winter rye and
spring barley sOwn together in August
and early in September. the rye max
ing heavy leaf growth which a4ded
much To the bulk and value Of the
crop. The rye also lived through the
winter and made full crop the follow
ing spring. From two 60 three bushels
of ali the small grains viii b. needed
for seeding land for forage crops.
Oats have s0wn At the rate Of five OF
six bushels per acre on some lands
but on soft, rich soils they are apt 70
fall down and rot when sOwn toe
thick.
There is no harm in irving 10 adjust
the several quantities Of all these diiier'
crops to the requirements Of the sioek
to be kept. bat in practice il viii be i'm.
possible 20 do 30. IL i pretty good
| r-,lo tn f..lln,r, In nnleavnr 10 keen each