The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-05-15
A NEW DEPARTURE.
On n Breeding and Dairytng Farm
How TO Probably Grow Fodder


New Jersey farmer writes to the
Country Gentleman about a new depart
ure in farming. Twenty years ago he
thought he had proved to his satisfaction
that he could buy grain cheaper than he
could raise it, or, to speak more accurate
ly, if he had land to spare for the raising
OF crops other than grass, or for forage
there were crops that would pay him bet
ter TO grow than grain and so he had
raised no grain for years The business Of
his farm since then has been breeding and
dairying, and the whole energies of the
farm have been directed to growing fod-
der crops. Formerly he grew roots grass
and cornstalks; latterly he confined his
crops TO grass for pasturage, and hay and
corn fodder Tor ensllage, with an occasion
al crop of oats, cut green, for hay or to
supplement- falling pastures. He had fire.
quently put the query why crop of corn
might not be raised at the same time with
the stalks grown for ensilage? During
the past season he grew from the same
seed good crops of both corn and material
for the silo. He planted his corn by hand,
in drills four and half feet apart, with
one seed every nine inches in the drill
When the grain was glazed. be pulled the
ears In the husks and spread them, about
seven inches in depth, on piece of sod.
The stalks were then cut, passed through
the cutting machine and deposited in the
side. Shodld rain fall on the heaps Of
DeiOTS II Is READY 10 De hurked. 1t
should he ralSed over with wooden rake
so as to prevent heating, for OF course it
is in a very succulent condition. When
he had filled his stlo, say in ten or twelve
days, he husked the corn, left it in conf
cal heaps for two or three days and then
cribbed 1t. 1t was an unusually fRvora-
BILE time for curing, and the ears and
stalks were little further advanced to,
maturity than he fancied by reason of a
drOuth. The corn that he pulled first is a
little shrunken in the grain the remain
der looked "a Though IL had been left on
the stalks until maturity. He could
scarcely make old farmers IN his neigh
borhood believe that the corn which they
saw in the crib had been grown and ripe1.ed
In this manner. He got a good crop OF
corn and about eight tons of green stalks
to the acre. There seems to be suffic ent
virtue IN the green moist cobs and husks
TO ripen the grain to the point of safety
Tor crlbb.ng, and making good corn meal.
The shrlnkage 10 The grain viii not exceed
ten per cent. in ordinary seasons: with the
dry time OF last year. IL will not exceed
nYe per cent; in fact, the Shrinkage of his
whole crop WAS not perceptible. The
stalks were succuleut to the roots, sweeter
than usual, and his stock ate with avid
ity.
Land such as his-clay Ioata underIain
with gravei-when well cultivated and
manured, win grow fifty TO sixty bushels
of shelled corn to the acre. and be has no
doubt he can grow fully that amount Of
corn, and also get eight to twelve tons of
green fOdder per acre
His drills. he thinks were too far anarf
and tEis year il is HIS intention to make
them three feet nine inches or four feet
distant, with one grain every nine inches
IN the drllL The custom OF planting corn
In drills. for grain Is much Drsctice6 in
New FORK but * Tare in New Jersey IL
- estinai ed that the yield of grain and
stalks VIII be Increased twenty per cent
Dy the new departure in planting The
feed bills so inevitable in a butter dairy
VIII De largely diminished