Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-05-28
FARM AND GARDEN.
THE vAgUR oF com FODDER a.
STOCK FOOD.
A Genrral Review 81 Experimental Evi.
denee ~ Prof. sanbern.

Professor j. w. Sanborn, il bulletin
issued from the Missouri State Agricul-
tural College. gives general review Of
experimental evidence OF the value Of
corn fodder as stock food. Following
are statements made by Professor
Sanborn, based on the results of careful
experiments, covering period Of sew
eral years. and Of value and interest to
farmers at large:
During last winter, IN series Of ex-
pegiments covering four sets Of steers
and over one hundred days time, Prof
Sauborn found corn fodder of much
economic value. Thus: A lot of three
steers, weighing 3,016 pounds, Feb. 10,
fed on timothy and red-top hay, gained
20 March is but SO pounds. Lot 2,
weighing Feb. 16, S,O05 pounds, gained
to March Is 102 pounds. Their food
was clover bay and corn fodder. Lot 8,
weighing 2, $50 pounds Feb. Is, gained
to March IS "a pounds. Their food
was corn fodder and q pounds each OF
middlings and cotton-seed meal per
steer. Lot ] ate 2, l30 pounds of tim
othy and red-top hay and $50 pounds Of
meal. Lot 2 ate 1851 pounds Of clover
and corn fodder and $50 pounds Of
meal Lot 3 ate $40 pounds Of corn
fodder and $50 pounds Of meal, or i've
pounds by each steer daily.
II wall be observed that less than
pound OF corn fodder In q ration OF
clover or certain meals is fully as ell
cacious as hay. This result from hay
Is not q representative one. Clear
timothy gave gain Of pound day
In former experiments. These facts
are now introduced and added 70 those
Of the winter of 1882 TO show that
Prof. Sanborn gets the same results
there as OF the New Hampshire Agri-
cultural College for similar foods. It
has been his custom for eight years to
feed his young stock, not under expert
ment trials, with clover and corn fodder
or straw and clover hay, with as good
results as on the above.
A partial explanation Of the good re-
suits Of clover and corn fodder against
hay, or Of cotton-seed meal and corn
fodder versus hay, rests in the fact that
both clover hay and corn fodder are rich
in albuminoids, or hesh-forming mate
rails Of the food, of which corn fodder
is deficient, and that corn fodder con-
tains greater proportion Of carbohy-
drates. or fat and force formers than
either clover or cotton-seed meal. Thus
these foods are the compliments Of
each other. Prof. Sanborn presents
additional experiments and analyses to
show that in certain combinations OF
food like clover or cotton-seed meal,
within the farmers reach, corn fodder
has, pound against pound, substantially
the same value as timothy. He also de-
plores the great loss Of corn fodder when
fed by usual methods.
Professor Sanborn advises that the
crop be cut while the stalks are yet
green, the corn being In the latter
stages of the dough state. It should be
put into shocks made four hills square
and bound round the top by rye, straw
or green cornstalk. 1t is well to bend
the tassels down, binding their tops
under, thus turning the rain. In the
course Of two or four weeks these small
shocks may be easily husked ont and
the corn cribbed. The band viii not
have to be removed nor the shock taken
down in husking. After husking the
hills Of corn. around which the shock Is
made, as fast as the shock is wanted il
may be cut, and the fodder Of the shock
may be easily and quickly by one man
passed to the wagon for stacking, the
band around the shock always remain
ing on. Thus treated, IL viii be more
tender and nutritious, and when fed
with clover or cotton-seed meal, or mid
dlings, will nearly all be eaten. It will
also be handled from the start at less ex-
pense per acre than by the system OF
sixteen hills square shocks. When fod-
der Is cut by machinery there Is no
waste IN feeding.
Shocked while the corn is thus green,
most farmers suppose that less and
poorer corn is obtained. This, ia Prof
Sanborn's experience, is a mistake. On
this point he devoted three years Of ex-
detrimental work with northern Flint
corn grown north. One test was elab-
crate and covered hundreds Of weigh
ings, beginning with the green coru
from measured sections and passing
along until dry the following season and
then weighed ont to COWS, whose milk,
twice daily, was weighed for corn thus
shocked and also for corn ripened on the
bin. Each kind was weighed out 10
pigs also. In every case for three years
he hzs received more corn when shocked
ct the glazing Of Flint corn than when
allowed 70 fully ripen on the hill. One
year the relation stood as ,604 pounds
to l,563 pounds from q quarter Of an
acre, IN rows ffty-ive rods long, show
ing over 400 pounds in favor OF the early
cutting advised. This yield is at the
rate Of over eighty bushels per acre.
The fodder also weighs as much when
shocked IS when il remains until ripe.
IN short, growth ceases st the period
named, which u about the time the butt
OF the stalk begins to yellow. For the
information Of the farm rather than for
public report 100 hills were cut up when
the corn was in the milk stage and gave
s. pounds OF dry corn, but when begin.
ming 70 harden, stalks quite greer, 100
hills gave 1891 pounds dry corn. When
July ripe 100 hi.ss gave 1914 pounds Of
corn, which aesases with fuller expert
ences with the Flint corn elsewhere.