The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-08-11
The FARM AND HOME.
WINTERING CATTLE PRINCE
PALLY ON CORN FODDER.
Where the Profits Go-Hay Grades-Long-
Legged Tomato Plants Care of
tho Dairy Cow ~ Stock
Notes and Hints.
The Value of Corn Fodder.

The Value of Corn Fodder.
10 a gardener who depends largely
upon corn fodder for the winter feed
OF two horses and three cattle it
seems that R. G. Riser, who gave
his experience in feeding cattle,
might have entirely saved his hay
and added $l6S. 80 to his profit by
cutting up and using his corn fodder.
writes L. B. Pierce in the Country
Gentleman. Cut before frost and
placed in shocks l think 40 acres
would have kept his cattle in rough
feed and the other 20 acres fed to
something else would have paid for
cutting up and binding the whole.
With hay at IS per ton, corn fodder
saved in good condition is worth at
least S. per acre and both cattle and
horses relish it in autumn. and early
winter and thrive as we'll as on hay.
Cattle | think. do better than on hay.
Last year | had two and one-half
acres of corn cut into 1863 shocks. and
as near as | can get at it. it would
have fed two horses and Two cows two
months. or been equal to three tons of
hay. Hay is worth here $40 per ton,
and this would make the value $12
per acre. The corn was planted in
drills three and ne-half feet apart
and rather thicker than it should have
been for the best results the yield of
ears being $50 bushels.
The time of feeding is partly esti-
mated on the basis that the fodder
from thirty one stacks fed the ami
mails eleven and one-half days. I
have fed cornstalks for nineteen years.
and have very little patience with a
system OF farming that wastes the
corn fodder. In this section there is
occasionally field of corn frost bitten
and left uncut and I would not give
fifty cents an acre for the good an an
imal gets from it as it stands in the
field brown and dead and tasteless.
| A Nebraska man told me once as
we stood watching a herd of cattle
'rustling'' in a large field of corn
stalks that the principal value cattle
got was from nubbins and ears skipped
in husking. 49,. ..
Mr.. Riser does not tell whether
the cattle were sheltered or not but I
presume they were housed in true
western fashion under the broad
canopy OF heaven subject to all the
capricious changes which take place
under that PARKWAY roof. It makes
me tired when l read inquiries as to
profits from men who make crea-
lures hide DO duty as she'd and it's
stomach serve as a stove. Perhaps
do Mr. Riser injustice but according
to his statement his cattle did some
roaming over hundred acres of
clover and corn stalks. - 'a
On the Western Reserve we think
it pays to keep fattening animals
warm. quiet and sheltered from the
storm and large part OF the profits
come from a careful use of all the
farm products saved in the best man
ner. The farmers. of Northern Ohio
would as soon let go to waste good
timothy meadows as, to waste, OR what
is about the same thing. leave them
uncut On nearly every farm is a
dairy fully one-half of them winter
dairies and the principal food of the
cows until February is corn stalks.
l have friend in the western part
OF Ohio who raises annually 14O acres
OF corn. feeding it to steers and this
is all cut up near the ground. Feed
ing sheds Is feet wide and 100 feet
long are provided with a 4-foot man
ger running through the center. In
this the stalks are fed without husk-
ing. the steers being admitted on
either side. The best ears are snap
ped off before feeding to elualize the
ration. that is. to preserve due pro-
portion between the grain and rough
age. No hay is fed while the corn
stalks last. In this connection it
might be of value to mention what 1
did in a small way with sweet corn
fodder. H.,
On the 26th of June. 1891 I
planted 143 rods (exact measure) of
new land plowed for the first time.
and containing over 40 stumps with
rows of Egyptian and "a rows of
Evergreen sweet corn. 1t was planted
with a hoe Is inches apart, three
kernels in a hill. The seed. procured
Of a neighbor: was shrunk somewhat
and he thought it probable that not
more than two thirds would grow.
but it all grew making the seeding
too heavy. The ground was rich. the
season favorable and I got an enor-
nous growth. did not expect much
in the way of ears, but finally sold
over $40 dozen, all but IL. dozen
bringing 10 ceuts per dozen.
The fodder was cut Immediately
after a slight FROST and put into 81
shocks. l think. in green condi-
ton. these shocks would have easily
weighed 400 lbs. each, making over
twelve tons on the piece when cut up.
Many OF the stalks had nubbin ears
on. and never fed anything that cat
tie ate so voraciously as this
The first 20 stacks fed. lasted two
cattle So days and could it all have
been fed in December, it would have
fed four cattle one month; % stacks
remained in the field up to the middle
OF January. and OF course deteriorated.
1 was forced to leave it out as in the
oman waafhor bod Sin Dooa,,, Lo,,