The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-09-19
About Corn Feed.


(Jenkins) is quoted as saying:
Field corn Yields more digestible cat
tie food per acre than any other crop,
and more than equal acreage of fodder
corn. About one-third of this diges-
tible food is in the slower. The diges-
tible food in field corn has the same
effect on the milk yield as a like guam
titv of dgestble food in fodder-corn
ensilage. To feed stover to the best
advantage the canes of the stalk must
be crushed or shredded. Fed in this
way cows will eat it as readily and COM
pletely as meadow hay.
Professor Sanborn, than whom there
is no better authority, holds that there
is no evidence to prove that any more
nutriment exists in ensilage than in dry
corn-fodder, grown under the same
conditions. We may concede these
professional dicta to be essentially
sound, and vet not be forced to allow
that what some are pleased to call the
ensilage craze " has no practical foun-
dalton, and has not come to stay.
In the first place, besides what is
conceded above, it must not only be adj
mitted, but strongly insisted on, that
the value of the corn plant for feeding
depends upon bo,o it is grown, and that
it must not only be property grown, but
must also be properly mdtured, before
we can have it at its BEST 1t is highly
probable that in whatever form it is to
be fed, the best corn to grow, even for
ensilage, is corn that will nearly or
quite mature in the climate where it is
planted. If 1t is a fact that corn full
in the milk has reached its maximum
of nutritive quality, then we may grow,
for fodder or ensilage, a corn which we
should find somewhat too late, in an
average season, to mature a crop of
fully ripened grain. Therefore, in
northern New England and Canada,
the Sanford corn, which does really pro-
duce a greater amount of actual food
than the field corn of the same locality
is so far to be preferred to the latter
for dry fodder, or for the silo. The
next point, and one which has been too
much sighted, is the question of thick
or thin planting; and there is little
doubt that much of the corn planted,
both for fodder and ensilage, is planted
too thickly. 1t is our own judgment
that for these purposes there is no gain
in planting more thickly for fodder than
for grain. The corn plant needs both
air and light in abundance for its per-
feet development, and these it cannot
have, if too close planting is practiced.
Still another point is the one of ma
nure; and here again we say that you
can hardly have land too rich for corn,
for whatever use you have planted it.
There is no difference in the work we
must do, except at harvest, upon poor
or rich corn-feld, and surely the extra
crop is worth the extra labor of hand
ling it.
1t is not matter of Indifference
what seed is used when planting corn
for forage, either dry or ensiloed We
should use just as good seed, and of
as good strain, when we plant for
forage, as when a crop of grain is de-
sired. The seed that will give the most
good full ears will give the best ensi-
lage. 1t is mistake to overlook this
point. If you doubt it, try both sorts
side by side. There is such thing as
scrub seed as well as scrub stock.
Now, admitting that the same seed
land and treatment will produce ar
equal quantity of nutriment, whether
the crop of corn is dried or ensiloed
how are we going to decide, in our owr
individual cases, which is the better
practice? We see no way but the way o.
experience. We will first assume that OF
tirst-class grass and grain farm, with {
heavy soil, in the north and east, there
is little place for the corn crop. Here
grass is certainly king, and should hav,
full sway, with grain as prime minister
through dairy herd satisfactorily, ant
if succulent food is thought desirable
roots may perhaps answer on such
farm as well as anything. But on thu
highland farms, where seedlings sool
run out, and roots do not make mucl
of show, while corn grows to perfec
ton, CORN (the king of grasses, in
deed,) must be the farmers strong
hold if he wishes to compete with tn
natural grass land, Especially as
dairyman. How shall he handle tn
crop of the wide fields of corn he wi
grow? Shall he cut it, stock it and dr.
it in the field, and draw it under cove
either before or after snow comes, t
handle it there all winter with col
fingers, finding it more or less mouldy-
the more, the better it is cared, -fndin
IL fnll of rnice .-haVinU IN 90 pruah IL {.