Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-12-23
The Farmers Institute.
Large Gatherings of Enthus-
iastic Tillers of the Soil.
A Pleasant and PrOftdbie
EUeHt.

The Farmers Institute held in
this city on the 10th and 18th inst,
was literally attended by the far.
mers of the surrounding community
and citizens in general. Owing to
circumstances over which there was
No control the programme was not
carried out to the letter, but this
caused no deuiment whatever to the
success Of the institute, which asser-
tion is sustained in the fact that
parties attending and taking part,
who are specially engaged in the
work, and have aided in many at
various places, sent out kilograms
declaring it one of the most inter-
estlng within their experience.
A detailed account in this issue is
beyond our space and, to a certain
extent, our ability. In explanation
of the latter admission we state that
by means of pressure of business
upon the locaizer of this sheet
another party was entrusted with the
duties of putting report in shape
for us, but 1t was not done, surely
more TO our chagrin than all others
combined. Eowever, to have given
the several papers read in one issue
is out of the question, yet some of
them will appear hereafter.
Among the most important and
interesting features of the first day
was the talk on ensilage, or fodder
corn, by Mr.. Gould, Of Ohio, whose
object was not to cover much
ground, but to draw out discussion.
Farmers, he said, must cheaper pro-
duction, and must feed cheap, as
high prices are thing of the past.
Hay Is dear and uncertain, large
crop is raised one wear, and the next
year it will be a failure. Farmers
must get a larger crop from less
acres. For winter feed milett,
clover and fodder corn are most
raised. Clover is a reasonably sure
crop, millett not so sure, while fod-
der corn is ALWAYS a sure, and is the
plant that farmers must raise to
cheaper feeding 1t seldom gives
less than half crop, and grows on
either low or high lands. In Ohio
hay averaged 400 pounds per acre
the past season, while fodder corn
was a good crop, in spite of the IN
precedented drouth. We plant Vir-
ginia White ensilage corn, it giving
the best results, planting about the
18th of May. Have several ways of
planting. The idea is to cheaper
the crop, so use little or no hand
labor. Ground should be we'll pre-.
pared and very mellow, then take a
grain drill, stop all the drills but
two, three feet apart, and use one
half bushel of seed per acre and
drill it in. This is the best way.
Drag at least twice before it comes
up to kill weeds, and once after it
comes up. Twice through it with a
cultivator when it is growing is suf-
ticient, as its growth is so rapid and
the ground is so shaded that weeds
will not grow Cut with raking
reaper. When left in the field set
up in shocks of 125 bundles in
shock to prevent weathering. If
set up in small shocks there is much
waste from this cause. BY this
method the farmer gets a big crop
per acre. Last season, notwitb-
standing the drouth, cut from Is to
20 tons per acre, equal to between
7 and 10 tons of dry hay per acre,
or $50 bushels Of shelled corn.
When cut in August has not the
food value as that cut in September.
Experiment shows that when corn
is cut in September it has 100 per
cent. more nutriment than that cut
earlier. In September corn is going
into maturing stages and contains
all the elements of food that will
give big results in milk.
lie favored the cutting up of the
fodder by the aid of a cutter sta
toned at the silo, or storage vault,
as it was brought in from the field.
Cut fodder does away with the