Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-04-27
GROWING FODDER crops.
Concentration and Compression Should B.
the Rules Of Action.


the Rules Of Action.
The introduction and successful prac.
tice of ensilage render the cultivation
of the best fodder crops subject Of
Importance to farmers and dairymen.
Without these it is impossible to make
farming profitable, for they are substi-
tutes for the now impossible practice OF
summer pasturage. Our dry. hot sum-
mers are an obstacle to permanent
pasturing which in spite of all efforts
has been found impracticable, and as
forage crops can not be consumed on
the land without great waste, there is
no alternative but to grow these crops
and cut them for feeding under sys-
tenn of partial or complete soiling for
summer use and for ensilage for winter
feeding.
Two considerations then present
themselves, first, the kind of crops to
be grown and the proper methods OF
culture. There is large variety OF
these crops suitable for cultivation in
both the North and South, but really
two or three crops only are required,
and one of these fills the greater por.
tion OF the supply for the whole year.
In some cases, however, circumstances
make place for some other crop as a
special convenience. and it may be de-
sirable therefore to mention these as
suitable for filling vacancies which
may occur in practice Having gone
through the whole routine for feeding
dairy COWS for many years, we shall
mention only those crops which we have
used in our practice and have found con-
venient and useful. The list comprises
winter rye sown early in the fall, for
use in April and May; clover to follow
the rye; early varieties OF sweet
corn to follow clover, late varieties OF
sweet corn or common field corn to
come next; mixed oats and peas as a
change and variety with the corn, mil
let to come later, and then corn for the
rest OF the season and for winter feed
ing as ensilage, or as cured fodder; but
in the latter case a crop of sugar beets
or mangels will be necessary to feed
with the dry fodder and the clover hay.
which is also needed to some extent
even when ensilage is supplied. All
through the system reasonable change
OF fodder is required to keep up the ap-
petite of the cattle and secure full
consumption of the most nutritious
food, as well as to avoid any risk OF in
sufficient supply by reason OF failure of
crops through dry weather. In all
cases it is desirable to have supply
On hand OF dry fodder, as we'll as en-
silage which may be available to carry
over the stock through any possible
emergency. Under the present condi-
tions of all agricultural industry high
pressure system must be maintained.
and the resources of the farm must be |
taxed to the extreme Of possibility to |
make the business as profitable as it |
should be. The aim of the dairyman
should always be to have one more
COW and to get little more feed than
will supply this addition, and so on, to
keep pressing on the springs continu-
ally, and the same principle should con-
troll the farmer and stock feeder.
The same principle should be applied
to the cultivation of these crops. Nature
loves most the most ardent wooer She
is most liberal to her much-exacting
master. ''To him that hath shall be
given" is the principle upon which she
rewards the labors of the cultivator OF
the soil. Large crops lead to still
larges ones, and so the soil should be
forced to the utmost on the highpres-
sure system referred to. No one yet
knows the full capacity of the soil, and
1t is well that no one who tills the soil
should ever think the largest recorded
crop can not be over-matched by sue
cessful efforts. We would advise then
every farmer to make a practice of cur
5ailing his cultivated area and concen-
rating material and labor as long as he
IAN mako the less area afford him
arger yield. We have followed this
jystem for years with the result Of get
ing more fodder and grain from 8
lcres than had previously been
yrown on 20 and in getting more pro-
luce per square rod than had
)een procured before from 10. This is
he central point of the system of prac-
ice around which every effort should
circulate and gradually lessen the Cir
uit Concentration and compression
hould be the rule Of action when one
ultivates feeding crops and uses
he silo. And first. in regard to
he second consideration, till
ge is to be considered. The soil I
hould be made like garden. When h
eighbors saw the writer covering b
field with manure and turning it +
nder, picking up the surface stones
nd burying them or covering them in f
he burrows, narrowing repeatedly un- &
i the soil was perfectly fine and mel Il
w, they said, THAT field was better il
'orked than any garden" But when &
ne little four-acre field turned off 1876 v
ushels of rye, and the next year more I,
nan IS full loads of timothy and clover v
ay and full pasture for II yearling y
eifers until late in the winter, the d
rofit Of garden culture for field crops
ecame evident, and this should be the
ay with all fodder crops.
With regard to corn for this use, 1t Al
generally-we think universally Il
,nceded that full crop Of ears with
) thick planting as may be possible /,
r this result is the best This may
} procured by planting three or four r
'ains at eighteen inches apart in rows
ree feet apart and cultivating the =