The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-18
Forage From Crass to Grass!
Roughness for ton Head Of
Stock From Novem Der ist
TO April lat!

One of the results from the improve
ment Of milo plant, when grown) for
seed has been Its large Increase of tlller-
age. originally, it threw up four to nine,
now 1t tlliers at the least nine, anl makes
as many as twenty-eight stalks from
single seed, averaging, say fifteen.
But the important fact Is the fresh,
vigorous and nutritious condition OF the
talk after its fodder has been pulled and
its seed heads cut off.
In 1882 and 1883 the maturing Of the
seed seemed to have exhausted the plant
leaving the stalk apparently as dry and
worthless as corn stalks. But in Octo-
Der | found them fresh and throwing out
new shoots, some of them a foot long,
The whole stalk seemed full of saccharlne
aud nutritious matter, and l determined
to try them for stock feed.
They were cut and few only were put
in my barn, having nc room for more,
the balance were put under shed. They
do not appear to have been at all effected
by host or weather, but if left wholly ex-
posed they might decay. This is record
ed to show that no pains In curing nor
extra care seems necessary to be given to
them, all they need is to be put under
cover at once after cutting.
| would impress the fact that milo
stalks from about quarter acre, from
which 26S pounds OF fodder and IA
bushels Of prime seed had been saved
have supplied my seven head of cattle
and three horse. with roughness of three
months, with enough left to last them al
April l..
What | mean by roughness is hay. etc
4 exclusive of bran and cotton seed mea
for COW and oats Tor horses. have not
used any corn or its meal for stock since
November lst My barn was filled to re
pletion with oats; millet, orchard anc
clover hay, a spleLdid crop of seven tons
Of mixed millet pea vine and corn from
one acre, besides corn and milo fodder
had also put in October three bales OF
hay, and there is my barn, filled will
roughness, not a pound of which have
| used. DOR will | require Of necessity I,
food to touch it for my stock. Indeed
would have been saved much trouble ant
} expense had | known that milo stalk
filled the whole bill.
: If my milo seed were not worth to-
much for seed to plant | would hav
ground them coarsely, fed the grits t
horse and mule, and the meal to tn
{. cows for am satisfied that milo maiz
=, with its fodder and stalks constitute
perfect feed tor stock, at any rate yer
nearly perfect, talmost identical wit
wheat of course change Of diet is az
ceptable to man and beast
L Now, if few acres of milo maize
cultivated by every Georgia farmer, wi
carry the stock of the state from grass
> grass, and bridge over our summe
drouth, and leave stock in such couditio
: as mine are. | wish you could see then
never in better order.
Colonel. what am | writing so careful
for? What do such facts mean?
Do you comprehend ard reSlize the
II import?
May | give four responses:
q No more pulling of corn fodder
No more cutting and curing grass
q No more baled hay from anywhere!
Good stock, we'll kept, means mo
cotton
20 [ viii leave to your Imagination al
broad experience to trace out the ma
s benefits to Georgia If her farmers "
adopt milo as simple home crop.
st The reader will observe that two or thr
rounds of seed will plant an acre for
seed crop, and say four pounds for fora
IS cutting.