The National tribune., 1892-10-06
MORE ABOUT sILOS.

with corn silage or feed-cured fodder corn ad
libitum fed to 90 cows during 16 weeks pro-
duced total quantity of IS. s13 pounds of milk
during the slage period and l9.801 pounds of
milk during the fodder-corn period. 2. When
we consider the areas of land from which the
slags and fodder corn are obtained. we find
that the silage would have produced 243 pounds
more milk per acre than the dry fodder, or the
equivalent of IL pounds Of butter. This is
gain of little more than three per cent. in
favor of the silage.
PREPARE WARM QUARTERS.
Young stock cattle may make satisfactory
growth to rough it somewhat if they have
plenty of the best foods to promote growth, but
dairy cows to maintain fair condition of flesh
and the productive powers of the working
machinery for profit must not only be supplied
with an abundance of the right kinds of foods,
but the comfort of the cows must be looked after
in every detail, for it pays in like measure of
comfort and profit to the farmer. A farmer of
experience in tho care Of cows says that where
the separators have been adopted in place of
the old aud unsatisfactory way Of gathering the
cream, farmers are congratulating each other
on the greatly increased profits from the cows.
But we should remember that just now is the
time to decide whether not our COWS shall
yield US much larger profit than through the
Summer, or if we must keep them through the
long Winter for nothing. Soon the pastures
will BIO worthless for tho production Of milk.
The poor animals can just live unless extra
food is furnished. If ths old method is prac-
ticed of hauling q load of corn fodder into the
pasture, whore it is eagerly fought for by mich
cows and stock cattle. not much should be ex-
pected in the way of milk. Why not put the
COWS in the yard and feed az much as they will
eat of suitable milk producing food? If they
get good oat straw with liberal feed of bran
and oil meal they will do splenddly, but corn
fodder is much better than the straw.
/ have noticed that the average farmer
makes little preparation for feeding his cattle
from the time the pastures are exhausted till
the corn is husked. so he can turn into the
stalks which, by the way, is about rs bad
place as he can turn the valuable mlch-cow
When first turned in she gets too much corn
and shrnks in her milk. Later she does not
get enough, and there is another decrease;
then her teats get sore, and she kicks a pail
or two to pieces and spills what little milk
she docs give. and it is seldom she escapes
without repeated poundings, which finishes
the work, for matter how valuable the
cow, after going through such an experience
her day OF usefulness as mixer is past.
Just now is the time to see to it that the sta
bles are in good condition for the Winter.
When we remember that the constable should
never freeze where cows are expected to do
their best. We can hardly expect much when
our cows stand in stables which freeze SO hard
that we have to wait for thaw to clean
them or chop the manure out with an ak, and
sometimes after a snowstorm of unusual viO-
lence we must scoop the snow from behind
the cows before we can milk. If We cannot
afford good cow-barn, why not get the
1,x, nbor An finn md Lot ha pau fnr
They will do it if you help them little,
providing yon get the work done on time. so
they can have the early use of it. 1t is the
cold rains and heavy frosts of October and
November that makes Winter stripper of
that fine cow which was fresh in August or
September, and which with proper care and
food will fill the pail twice day all Winter
Don't let us say, as we have habit Of saying.
there is time enough; there will be no cold
weather before December. Remember, as soon
as the corn is fit to crib all hands must be in
the field and the cows must of old dodge
around the strawstack, if they have not eaten
it up long ago. But if we conclude to follow
the old course we have still one consolation
we will not have to take the milk to the sep
arator. Truly, the darkest cloud has silver
lining, which is NICE even if we have no sill
yer in our pocket.
CHEAPER Fertilizers.
How to fertiize orr fields thoroughly and at
less cost is one of the problems of agriculture
that demands solution every Autumn. The
tendency is to reduce the outlay every season,
and by so doing wo often begrudge our land its
proper amout of food. Study and experiment in
this line are making it possible every season to
fertiize our lands at less cost The great waste
of the farm exists every side. and how to
utilize everything must be solved before We
can hope to make composts of tho right nature
and at less cost.
The making of composts is as old as the hills
but nevertheless it is capable of Improvement.
1t is in this work that we save direct OUTLAWS
of money, and improve the soil more than if
twice as much was spent for commercial fer
tilizers. All vegetable matter contains the
very essentials which make good pile of COM
post, and this, whether fresh or decayed, must
all be gathered. In the Fall of the year all of
the vegetable matter that is not needed for
fodder should be gathered together in one heap;
mix moist earth and lime with it, and expose
the whole mass to the sun and rain. In
short time such heap will be so rich in nitric
acid that 1t would stimulate plant growth to
an abnormal development Such compost
enriches the soil beyond all possibility Of COM
parisOn.
We turn under buckwheat or grass in order
to enrich the soil, and then add lime to it to
penetrate into the mass during the Winter
BY Spring fine field, rich in nitric acid, will
be prepared. 1t is on this principle that we
gataer decaying vegetation in the barnyard
and mix earth and lime with it. Leaves of the
woods and forest are vegetation that will an
swer this purpose just as we'll as other growths.
They can be gathered by the cart load every
Fall, and by keeping them mixed up with
moist earth and lime all Winter, one can make
a compost heap that is worth great many dol
lars.
Wood ashes are now used very generally for
fertilizers, and unleached ashes are becoming
most valuable agent in restoring the lost fertil.
ity to the soil. In the burning, however
there is great deal lost. and it is really un.
profitable work to burn wood in order to use
the ashes as fertilizer. If the wood could be
decomposed by the processes of nature all this
loss by fire could be prevented.
1t follows. then, that all vegetable and plant
the soil needs. 1t can be gathered on every
side, from the woods swamps, and fields.
Weeds cut before they 40 to seed are just as
good as other plants. Leaves Of the woods and
forests, the broken and decayed pieces of wood
and bark, are rich in heterogeneous food. Swamp
muck is made up OF all decaying matter mixed
with moist earth, and it needs but the applica.
tion of lime and the warming effect of the sun
to convert 1t into nitric acid Black earth from
meadows and ditches and, in fact, all conceiv-
able mixtures of dead plants and earth are
valuable to the farmer Nothing should be
wasted, for the compost heap can make use of
it all.-Amsfican Culticator.