The National tribune., 1890-08-28
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
SAVING eaRN. FODDER.

The art of getting rich consists simply in
saving, letting nothing 20 to waste that can be
saved. IL is easy enough for most men to
make money, but onlya few in the multitude
can save enough to mako them wealthy. The
art of speculation ruins the multitude and
saves the few. The farmer should never be n
Spectator. 1t is not in his line of business,
His is an occupation of steady growth and nc
emulation With hard work fair intelligence,
and reasonable good fortune he can grow enough
to produce him good surplus every year, pro-
vided no saves what he gets.
Tho wastes of the farm has always been n
prolific subject for agricultural writer's, and it
is pity that farmers have not profted by it,.
If the losses on the waste of special crops could
only be computed it would probably DO found
that corn-foddor would lead all the rest. Corn
is the great crop of this country, and so genor-
Gus IS it in yield that men have become care
less about saving the bounty that nature pours
into their laps.
In the great cOrn.growing States it is the
common practice to drive wagons through the
heid ana husk the corn draw il to the crib
aud then turn the stock in to "hog it down"
Can anyone compute the loss under such man
agcment compared with the latest and most
improved methods of handling the corn crop?
II such facts could be brought to his conyic-
tons what amazement thoy must cause even
the most Old-iashiOned farmer OF course it
cannot he expected that every farmer will be
cqual To All the requirements of modern meth
DDS, but he can move in that direction.
In the first place, he should cut the stalks
by machinery, If possible, but if not, then by
hand, aud after that take the best care of them
his surroundings will admit Of The SIMPLEST
met hpI IL In Cf4pl. II, q
to the stable yard in cold weather BY rotting
and bleaching there is considerable loss, while
the cattle reject large proportion Of the stalk,
ana rum much by trcading aud mounting over
It when fed In the yard If the stalks arc cut
and fed in the stable very much of this loss is
saved. ii moistened, and a little mill-Iced
scattered over it, ali will be eaten even to the
hardest butts though perhaps there is not
much nutrmcnt in Thorn.
We have never had much confidence in tho
many proposed plans for saving corn-fodder
whole under sheds and in the lofts of great
barns. There IS 80 much moisture in this fod-
der, either from tho natural sap or from rain.
that the fodder IS quite certain 10 mold when
packed closely; besides the expense of sheds
ana barns aud handling quite oyercomes tho
benefit derived. There is such q thing as
making saving too costly"
Dir. John Gould, In the american Aqricuifprid.
tells us OF now idea IN this direction Cor.
tam parties whom he names have tried SLIDING
THIS dry fodder. As soon as cut or later if de-
desired, the fodder Is hauled to the barn and
cut short aud moistoucd rs il is put in the silo,
and when properly packed has made most OK.
ceticnt feed. There is, of course considerable
expense attached 10 this method of saving fod-
der but sllO does not cost as much as n big
barn loft nor even of sheds large enough TO
hold great quantities of fodder while it should
be permanent fixture. We give this as ono
ui the possibilities Of tho future for saving fod-
der on tho great corn farms Of the West As
Dir. Gould suggests, when sios arc fod from
after illing. when empty thoy can
again be iliiod with the fodder standing in the
hcId.-imrricaH Dailg1Rau.
TWO VIEWS on THE sJABRERIEG QUESTION,
EpIroE NATIONAL TRInUNE: So far rs I
kno" about the second crop Of clover II should
be cut IN the middle of the day-that is. be-
tween 10 and o'clock for If cut earlier than
bat. it will cause slabberimg. The reason of
-his IS that II It IS cut earlier it has the dew
pm IT, and tho dew Is what causes ali the
trouble Ny father found out by accident that
4 tho clover was cut IN tho middle OF tho day,
. would not make tie horses siabber. aud / |
have mover known this 10 fail A COW viii /
give better milk II she is fed on the East crop, |
md think 1t IS wrong 20 feed cattle on the |
ecnnd crop IN tho morning. -FRAEKLIN Esr. !
LACK, Miilyille, n. Y.