The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-01-16
Hartford Farmers Convention,
A LARGE ATTENDANCE.
Interesting and Valuable Addresses
BY PROPS. ALvoRD Drunk AND
DIR. WARD.

The third annual Hartford County Farm
ers' Convention was held in the Court House
Bel Air, on Friday, January 9th. 1t was
more largely attended and more interesting
than any of the preceding conventions.
The convention was called to order at II
o'clock nv the President, Mr.. George E.
Silver. The other officers were as follows
Extraordinarily. T. Sawyer, VIM. P
Trimble, VIM. B. Baker, Charles w. Michael
Charles l.. Vail, VIM. Webster, Thomas But
Ter, Chas. FL. Street,, Arch. Wilson, Hugh E.
kins, Geo. r. Stephenson, VIM. E. Hanway
Secretaries.-Wm. L. Amoss and Joseph t.
Hoops.
Treasurer-Samuel S. Bevard.
The President, on calling the convention
to order, made an excellent address, in the
course of which he said:
A great need with farmers is more frequent in
tercOurse with members of their own profession.
An interchange of ideas, based upon experience,
would be beneficial to both parties In TINS way
money saved. For promoting this sort OF inter
course no better method can be devised than the
organization of farmers clubs
The application of steam, chemical force, &c,
making its influence felt in agriculture as in other
Giles produced has had the inevitable effect of pro-
decreasing their value To counter.
act this evil farmers should bring both brain and
and economy should be exercised in every depart,
ment. No animal should be fed at a loss and land
capable of producing crops worth hundreds OF
dollars should never be planted in those which
will only yield ten. The principal profit TO be de-
rived from farm crops is to be found In the bushels
produced In excess of the average. A farmer
quality to quantity It is better to cultivate one
acre well than two imperfectly. The production
Of crops however, is not the only point 10 De con
study the demands Of the market and
produce those articles which will command the
highest price.
The Importance of keeping accurate accounts
can scarcely be over estimated, that the farmer
may have the result of his labor before him in dol
lars and cents.
The subject of commercial fertilizers is one
which specially interests The Maryland farmer,
and upon no point have we taken so little pains to
nearly three millions Of dollars annually for ferti-
iZers-almOst Onetenth of the entire income OF the
State. Upon this question the raising Of stock has
should be duly considered. If the money which
we spend In fertilizers was invested in bran or
linseed meal and fed to our stock a tW0-fOld re-
turn would be secured.
THE VALUE OF CoRNsTALKs.
Prof. Henry E. Alvord, President of the
Agricultural Collge was then in
PRODUCED. He delivered an interesting ad-
dress on the subject of cornstalks.
There are, he said, ten specially noted corn
growing States, in which more than one
tenth of the cultivated area is in corn. OF
these States Maryland and Delaware are the
only ones east of the Allegany Mountains,
being the corn centre OF the Allie
gany slope. The State raises from fifteen to
sixteen million bushels annually-not high
average, only a little more than twenty BUSH
els to the acre. The grain is worth from
100000 to 100000, to say nothing of
the fodder. The more thrifty community
is the more attention they pay TO corn fod-
der. Corn stalks are as well appreciated in
Hartford county as anywhere, yet there is
waste.
Prof. Alvord described the two most
general methods of harvesting corn-one be-
ing topping and stripping and the other cut
ting of the stalks. In Maryland, he believed,
two thirds of the corn is harvested by the
first-named method, and it involves waste
and extra labor.
The different parts of the corn plant are
equally valuable. The Professor cut naked
corn stalk into four nearly equal parts, and
showed the result of tue chemical analysis
of one pound of each of such parts. The
first was water, ofWhich the driest stalk con-
tains II per cent. the others were the car
bonaceous part or starch, the woody fibre,
proteine or the heterogeneous portion, and the
vegetable oil. Analysis shows very little diff
ference in the percentage of these various
substances in different parts of the corn stalk.
Each joint contains the germ of an ear OF
corn and if a man leaves two or three joints
on the stalk, when he cuts it, he has left the
portion which contains the greater part OF
heat-producing properties, which is wanted
ct this season of the year. There is more
heterogeneous matter in the blades than in the
stalks and more fat and starch in the but than
in the blades. The husk is less valuable thar
any other part.
What is the value of the corn plant com.
pared with the
EAR OF CORN?
There is two-thirds as much starch in the
stalk, even 10 the butt. as in shelled corn, OF
corn-and-cob meal. There is one.half al
much proteine or heterogeneous matter in thu
corn plant as in shelled corn. A little more
than lbs. of corn fodder. entire. is equal il
food value to Id. OF sheled corn or corn-anG
cob meal.
The average yield of fodder is about two
tons per acre. Of this quantity it is safe 10
say that 1000 lbs of the butts of corn stalks PEI
acre are left standing on the ground. Thi
is equivalent, on every acre, to 400 lbs o
corn meal. This is equal in the entire Stat'
TO 200,000000 lbs. of corn meal left out o
doors and wasted every year-enough to fee(
100000 cattle every year.
The Professor showed jar of dried corr
stalk, ground to fine meal, saying that i
would make good buckwheat cakes.
He estimated that the corn stalks wasted
on every Maryland farm would be enough
in value to pay the annual taxes on the farm
HOW CAN WE SAVE IT?
This great loss can be saved-6rst, by cut
ting the corn off close to the ground and saw
ing it in the best possible way. In feeding i
should be cut into half-inch lengths. Stool
will then eat 80 per cent. of it. If cut into
two inch lengths. stock will not eat the joints
which contain valuable heat-producing mat
ter.
In answer to question Prof Alvord sale
he had not tested the economy OF feeding
pulverized corn-stalks, but would prefer ont
of two other ways-one was to soften thu
stalks before feeding and the other, 10 CONVEX
them into ensiage.
The drisst corn fodder, if cut into small
pieces and packed closely together, will hea
and become soft and palateable.
1t costs no more to take corn fodder iron
the field, cut and pack it in silo and feed il
to stock than it does to cure it in the tielC
and cut and feed it to stock.
Mr.. Henry Macatee asked Prof. AlvOrd i
he considered it better to make ensilage OIL
cut and feed the fodder dry. Mr.. Macatee
remarked that he makes more milk feeding
cut dry fodder than he did from ensilagt
which was cut in the roasting ear state.
Prof Alvord said there is less food, pound
for pound, in dry fodder than in that from q
silo, but it was unfair to compare one year
or one cow with another. The younger you
cut ensilage the more you lose. The bes
way is to cut il from the root at the time the
ear is taken of.
He recommended cutting fodder into small
pieces and packing it in hogsheads, where il
will ferment, become soft and should be fec
Immediately, or it will mould. The joint
will then be eaten by stock.
Mr.. George r. Stephenson asked whethe
it is better to make ensiage of the Who'll,
plant or to take off the ear first.
Prot Alvord replied that he would rather
have little of each. The cheapest way o
harvesting a crop of corn is to put stalk, ear
and all into the silo.
Mr. Charles L. Vail asked if the ear un
dergoes any change in its feeding qualities il
the silo.
Prof Acknowledgements tell US there is 6
slight loss of carbonaceous matter but tn,
per centage of proteine is increased thereby
A recess was then taken until o'clock.
THE QUESTION BOX.
When the convention reassembled tn,
Question Box was opened, and questions
read as follows:
us stable manure, when hauled and spread
on hard ground as beneficial 10 crops as tina
applied when the ground is not frozen?"
Mr.. James Lee said he had applied it tina