The Monmouth inquirer., 1889-05-16
FARM, FIELD AND GARDEN.
TIMELY TOPICS OF A PRACTICAL
NATURE SURE TO INTEREST.

How to Sow and How to Cultivate Corn
for the Silo-The Feeding Value of This
Plant When Cut at Different Stages of
Its Growth.
Growing corn simply for fodder or for
soiling in its green state is not new
idea, having been practiced to limited
extent for years, more especially in the
middle and southwestern states, but lat
terly it is receiving increased attention
over the entire country, from the fact
that it is recognized as the best forage
plant for ensilage purposes. In curing
cornstalks for fodder, difficulties are
apt to be experienced in drying it out in
autumn weather SO that it can be kept
in large bodies without molding, but for
ensilage it seems to be almost perfectly
adapted. That there is wide difference
in the feeding value of the plant when
cut at different stages of its growth is
also well known. but not until some of
the experiment stations have given atten-
ton to it has there been much really
demonstrated on the subject.
A recent report from the station of
Cornell university at Ithaca, N. Y,
where trials have been made, states that
it has for some time been practically
settled that corn for ensilage should be
grown either in hills or drills, with much
the same cultivation that is given to the
crop when grown for grain. Neverthe-
less, large majority of the farmers of
New York annually raise small patches
or fields of fodder coyn by sowing it
broadcast in manner that has long been
shown to be disadvantageous.
AS showing the comparative yield un-
der different modes of culture with
"Sibley's Pride of the North" harvested
at the stage when it is usually cut and
shocked for grain, drills 8 feet apart are
credited with the largest production, 100
per cent; hills 3x3 feet, 86.9 per cent. !;
broadcast, no culture, co., per cent. Of
the eight rowed flint, listed gave SIG and
planted in hills 1913 per cent.
To test the best period for cutting, fair
average hills were selected at different
times from field of '.Pride of the
North" corn, cut and weighed, and
sample sent to the laboratory for analy-
sis. The corn was planted May z; the
first cutting was made July "a, at which
time the plants were just coming into
bloom. The second was made Aug. s,
when the corn was hardly in roasting
ear condition. The third Sept. 8, at
which time the majority of the ears
were out of the milk. From the analy-
sis it appeared that the most marked
difference in the composition of the fod-
der cut at the different periods consists
in the constant and rapid decrease in the
water. While the gross yield increased
only about so per cent. from July "a to
Sept. 8, the amount of dry matter in
creased more than $50 per cent.
From all that was learned from the
trials and experiments made it appears
that the real feeding value of the corn
increased 166 per cent after it had tas-
seled out, and so per cent. after it had
nearly reached the roasting ear stage.
This suggests the Importance of selecting
those varieties intended for silage that
will fully mature before frost in the To-
calities where they are to be grown A
less number of tons of mature corn will
in all cases be more valuable than a
much larger quantity of that which is
immature