The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-27
Corn as = Fodder crop.

Correspondence Country Gentleman.
One OF the chief hindrances has been the hard
labor of producing these big crops of forage, to-
gether with the enormous loss in waste by storm,
the rejection or q large per cent. by the cattle,
and the ''unhandiness" in feeding. To feed un-
cut fodder In the stable, was to fill the managers
with butts, resulting in a huge pile of worth
less litter too coarse for bedding, obstructive
TO go into the manure pile, and if fed in open
helds to be run over by the cattle; the amount
nnally consumed hardly paid for the outlay in
feeding, as compared with the usual hay ration.
Inc observing farmer is slowly finding out
that his hay crop is the most costly ration that
he is now feeding The meadows fail to pro-
drce as they once did, and ton per acre of hay
Is above the average hay crop. With beef, milk
and dairy products at present low rates. can
the farmer afford to devote an acre of land to
the production OF a ton of hay of VARYING quail
ity, when the same acre will produce him twenty
tons of corn fodder, worth six tons of hay for
either milk or beef Can the farmer longer relv
on his meadows that take, one year with an
other, two acres to winter one COW, when two
acres of fodder corn will winter even better six
cows, and possibly eight2 These are pertinent
questions, and concern US all; for while the hay
crop fails by reason OF frosts, drought and the
like, the crop of fodder corn, planted on sod
ground, reasonably fortified with green stable
manure and we'll cared for, is almost positively
sure to bring paying crop of fodder Here on
the Western Reserve, where the drought ruined
the hay crop, those who put faith in Southern
fodder corn have secured at least two
thirds OF an average crop: and those who
planted so that they could soil their cows
during the burning month of August, when
pastures were both bare and brown, have made
! money out of their cows, with only small outlay.
The planting and care of fodder corn have now
become matters wholly of machinery, and the
farmer now rides from the blowing until the
harvest; harrow, planter. cultivator and reaper
all being provided with spring seats How and
when to plant is material for success For these
great crops the Southern corn is preferable, not
only because of its greater growth, but its more
ample foliage and the disposition to put out sew
eral ears of grain to each stalk. The amount of
seed to use is il dispute. but, after some ex
perience and close watch, I am disposed
to put the amount not to exceed twelve
quarts per acre. In drills forty-two inches
apart Then there is no overcrowding. the sun
light and air get in through the rows and we
| have healthy vigorous growth, instead of
dwarfed, spindling stocks with but few leaves,
and possessing but fraction of the food value
OF the other and less crowded kind The drill to
plant and the Thomas harrow to cultivate with
are almost indispensable. The latter, as it
crosses the field with it's 10-foot sweep is death
to every little weed, and it fines and mellows
the ground as no cultivator can. The cultivator
| may be needed once or twice, not more, and
finally, when it is to be cut, the big sweep rake
reaper, taking out row of corn at time reaps
Its acre per hour, and lays the great tall corn
down in gavels that can be easily laid hold of
and consigned to their proper destination, which
late Success III Splb0 Ol al ADVERSE prOpEoCleSs
has demonstrated to be the slo, as the perfect
method of preserving the great crops of fodder
corn.
To get big soiling crop-for all forage crops
are such-and then fa:! in reaping all its bene-
fits, through lack OF care or means of securing
it safe from storm and weather. is to be defeated
in purpose; but the silo offers a plan whereby
this great crop can be cut and stored, and so
preserved that at best only fraction Of its best
feeding value will be lost, and if the reports of
our great feeders and dairymen, who feed ensi-
lage by the thousands of TONS are reliable, there
is no loss, but an actual gain. The ensilage is
all eaten as it is nearly in the condition it was
when cut in the fields, and does not become
woody in character; and hence cannot hold the
sol uble portions firmly. and thus requires a
less expenditure of animal force to release and
digest it, not to mention the soft and acceptable
character of the food as compared with the
harsh, dry corn fodder and the coarser hays.