New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1892-08-31
SOME FARMING TOPICS.
USEFUL IMPORTATION FOR THE
INTELLIGENT FARMER,
About the Care Of Fodder Rye for.
PasturaRe--Care OF Poultry
The Preservation OF Butter
Training Up Domestic
Animals.
Rye for Pasturage.

"a crop Of rye for late pasturage is
almost a necessity en- all farms where
is made a speciality. Rye
is a crop that provides green food long
after pasture grass is gone, and it
springs up SO early in the spring that
green food may be had from it before
grass appears, after the winter is over.
It is q crop that occupies the land at
u time when it will be in the way of no
other crop, and requires no cultiYa-
ton or labor other than the prepara-
ton Of the soil and seeding.
1t also keeps the weeds down, and
crowds the early ones out in the spring
Considering its small cost for seed and
labor, and the many advant ages which
1T holds outeas a pasture crop, it is
worthy q place on every farm. Itmay
be plowed under in the spring in time
to permit OF a corn crop, or it may be
retained for its grain and straw, and
that, too, after the cattle have grazed
upon it early in the spring, the straw
OF rye being superior to that
OF wheat for many purposes, while the
grain always commands a ready sale.
Every farmer is aware OF the TACT,
that one OF the critical periods with
mich COWS is when the pastnrage fails,
and grain must be substituted, along
with hay and otn.r dry food, for a
change always causes a failing off in
the flow of milk unless great care is ex-s
;ercised to make the change from green
food to dry food as gradual as possible.
With a full supply 81 roots, or with
the use OF ensilage, the liability is
lessened, but more labor is required
with the COWS than when they are in
the pasture; hence, ii they can be kept
on the pasture, or alloWed green food
in some form, the flow will be more
easily maintained with less labor. For.
this purpose rye is the cheapest and
best cropt hat can be grown, and
it serves to begin with in
the spring, when the change must
be made back to green food, which
also influences the flow Of milk the
same as When changing to dry food.
In other words, it serves to shorten
the time when the COWS must be fed
exclusively on hay and grain, and for
that purpose it can not be surpassed.
The land for rye should be prepared
now, and plenty OF manure will make
q crop pay. Il it isto beplowed under
for corn, it will serve as an excellent
green manure, if lime is applied after
the rye is turned under. It never fails
on any kind Of soil to provide green
food, and even on light sandy soils it
will thrive well where wheat or oats
can not be grown.
About the Care OF Fodder.
It has been we'll demonstrated that
the fodder produced by q crop Of corn
is fully equal in value to the grain. Ii
the grain was5Wasted, as in the case
in the management OF the fodder by
many, it would create surprise. It
has been claimed by an eminent au-
thority that the amount Of fodder
wasted annually, by exposure and
trampling, is sufficient to feed all the
stock in the United States during the
winter. The claim is broad one,
but that an enormous loss occurs is
a fact fully recognized.
The practice OF shocking the corn
fodder in the fields is an old one At
first the cured fodder is bright in col
or, but as the rains and SHOWS come
upon it the color changes, becoming
darker, the leaves dry until
very brittle, and the winds literally
clean the stems Of all that is of value
The shocks are blown over and rot on
the ground, while the cattle tramp
that which remains, by pulling it first
to the ground and picking it ove..
just why care should be exercised in
cutting the fodder and securely bind
ing 1t, only to allow it to waste later
on, is a mystery, yet the same thing
happens over and over.
Fodder is a bulky crop, and for that
reason it is left in the field. 1t is not
given that reconsideration which it de.
serves, so far as it's nutritive value is
concerned. When cut at the proper
time, and left in the fields until an op-
portunity is afforded for storing it un.
der a covered shed, in a condi-
ton which will make it very
acceptable to all classes Of
stock, and if cut with cutter,
and fed moistened Or steamed, with
a small proportion ofground grain, it
will keep in good condition without
the aid Of hay. It may be stored un.
der cover by standing the fodder on
end, under a large roof, or may be
layered, and if well cured, and not
having been exposed, it will not heat
1t should be used as much as Isl
bic before the wet season sets in, tc
| lessen the bulk. If there is u power
cutter, it may be cut in large guam
titles at "a time and stored in bin !.
| No matter how preserved, it is q fact
that, until some other method thar
that ofallowing it to remain exposed
lall winter in the fields is adopted, a
large portion OF the crop will b
1 'ost.
Care ofiP oultry.
Many Of the suggestions as to thu
care OF poultry are unnecessarily
cruel. In my own experience with
/ poultry Il have secured satisfactory
results with less severity i'll handling
the fowls. It is quite a common
| practice to lay a barrel onits side
4 placing the hen and chicksini it, cos
i ing the end, leaving only space for tile
chicks to run in and out, thus keepins
Il Si1.