The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-07-14
Ghe 9armer.
Keeping Corn-Fodder.

C. S. Rice, in Rural Nep Yorker.
By the method of preserving corn-fod-
der that has been in use on my farm for
several years, the feeding value of the crop
as it is when cut in September is retained
for several mouths, and as the process is
not expensive and does not require extra
labor, it should come into general use by
those who do not avail themselves Of the
silo. My experience with corn fodder ex-
tends over a period of forty years, and vari-
GUS methods of cultivation and preservation
of the crop have been tried. The one
now in use is by far the cheapest of all,
and has been pronounced better than silo
by some who have had experience with
that method.
This cheap and practicable method is as
follows The seed is drilled in rows thir-
ty-two inches apart with about eight ker-
nels to the foot in the row. The growing
crop is cultivated between the rows several
times to keep the land free from grass and
weeds. TIE variety known locally as
e'sow fodder corn is grown and on land of
medium fertility it attains height of from
seven to ten feet. Corn of this height
grown in rows is not liable to be blown
down; can be cut with strong reaper and
eau be handled with fork. 1t is cut
when the tassels are perfectly developed as
the fodder has then its greatest value. In
cutting, two men go with reaper and the
rakes are allowed to run, but not to throw
off the corn. When the table is well load
ed the team is stopped and the men pull
the corn off and to one side so that it will
be out of the way on the next round and
SO they proceed around the piece. On the
next round the punches are left opposite
the first ones, but little further back so
:. that they will not become entangled, thus
forming rows two or three rods apart with
the spaces between the rows left perfectly
clean. Directly after cutting, the corn is
cooked up in large cocks, three or four of
the punches being put in each cock. No
harm arises if this is delayed day or two;
but the corn must not be allowed to dry, as
half dried fodder will mold when placed in
the cock. 1 have cooked up the growth of
from four to six acres year for several
years and have never suffered a dollars
loss by sourness, mold or rot. The corn
may Ue leu ltOlu luSsc COChS
further labor through September, October
or November, and will continue as good as
when cut, except that it is little weather
beaten on the outside.
Corn fodder put up in fair shape when
perfectly green is not penetrated by rains,
as it settles together very closely, and
water and air are excluded by the broad
leaves. If enough is grown to last well
into or through the winter, it should be
placed in stacks in about one month after
cooking. This was done on my farm last
fall by using mud sled, drawing two or
three cocks at time, two men placing
large, solid forkfuls on the sled and then OF
the stack, thus loosening the fodder but
little. The stacks were made on the field
where the corn grew, driving first on one
side and then on the other. They were
made eight feet wide, % or 80 feet long
and as high as the men could reach with
their forks. The corn had TO be drawn
only a short distance to form such stack
and the work was done rapidly. As in the
cock SO in the stack, there is no trouble
with rain penetrating corn fodder if it is
left in fair shape on top. The stack can
be readily cut down with hay knife and
a section sufficient for load can be re-
moved to the barn and fed from the wagon
or sleigh without extra labor, and the part
of the stack remaining is not exposed I'M
topped to the weather.
After the middle of winter, as portions
of the barn are emptied of hay, quantity
can be drawn and stored at one time; but
this involves more labor in handling then
when fed from the sleigh, if the barn and
stable are adapted to feeding in this way.
Fodder treated in this manner is never dry
like that cured by exposure to sun and cir,
and is of excellent quality, and there is no
waste. After months of feeding Of such
uncut fodder this winter in the stable,
visitor would be unable to find waste
enough to indicate that any corn had been
fed, as the cows ate it greedily and perfect
ly clean.
We have made winter butter for years,
and find that cows fed once day on this
fodder, and once on clover hay and fair
feed Of meal from peas and oats and shorts
mixed, viii yield a profitable return in
milk and butter.
The above method has been well tested,
and dairymen win do well to try it if their
land is adapted to clover and corn. 1t is
alike practicable with one-fourth of an
acre, or with any number of acres Isup-
pose the fodder to be of as much value as
average silage, and it can be had without
the expense of a silo or machinery, or