The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-02-01

ing very abundant crop of hay, and
on good, rich land will need to be cut
three times in season. The chemisrs
analysis gives it high standing for the
quality of the hay, yet my cows never
seemed TO find the goodness in it that
the chemists have reported, and have
abandoned il, believing that | can get
better results from other varieties.
Timothy, redtop and clover, grown to-
gether, make a good mixture. They
thrive well together and the quality Of
the hay is improved by the mixture.
When this is cut early and carefully |
cured, it is one of the best foods Tor the |
dairy COW. Above all our meadow |
grown dairy foods, will place clover,
Fl elders of dairy stock must learn to |
make the best use of what they can pro.
duce easily on their own farms. Clover |
is easily produced, is an abund int |
crop, and is the richest of all grasses in
abuminoids, and, whether fed green or
as cured hay, it is substitute Tor nitro
genous grown food; and when we con-
slider its strong growing qualities, draw
ing its nourisbment largely from the
subsoil and the atmos phere, and after
producing large crops Often five tons
to the acre. Of the best of hay and leav-
ing the ground actually richer in fertll.
ity than before, we must conclude that
it is the cheapest and best homegrown
dairy food we can produce.
believe that those daiIymen who cut
but one crop of hay from the meadows
each year would find it to their advan-
tage if they cut twice, for if the crop be
left till it gets its maximum growth the
quality of the hay is impaired for dairy
| stock. The highest proportion of al
buminOids or protein is found in the
young grass, aud as the protein is the
most valuable of the elements in our
cattle food, aud as the proportion in the
grass plant diminishes as the plant goes
| toward maturity, we see the advantage
of cutting early and often, thereby get
! ting the best quality of hay and more
! of it, for the cutting is no hindrance to
IFS growth Ifsthe land is rich, as it
sh uld be, the first cutting will be much
nearer perfect or well balanced ra-
ton and the second crop will be like
unto it.
Next in importance to the grass or
hay crop for winter dairy food is the
corn, and, considering the improved
methods in raising and handling the
crop, we esteem it nearly equal in i'm
pOrtance TO hay, and as cheaply oh
lained. The corn crop has been very
much abused, and even now is, after all
the light upon the subject. Much val.
liable labor has been wasted in raising
poor crops of immature fodder corn the
past season, where the seed was sown
broadcast-po0r, immature, sickly-loOk-
ing plants, without even a prospect of
an ear of grain. Such for feed is very
unsatisfactory, and, in my judgment, is
seal cely worth the labor bestowed upon
it. Corn is a sun plant, deriving much
of its goodness and energy from sun
light. Each plant requires ample space,
and should be well tended by proper
cultivation, and, whether for grain OF
fodder, the same method should be
used, for it is the perfect plant with its
burden of golden grain we want il
either case. The stalk that has pro
duced an ear of perfect corn is OF
greater value for food than many stalks
that grew under so unfavorabe condi
tions that natural development was i'm
possible. The old method of planting
one field for grain and another for fod
der should be abandoned for one field
and the same treatment will be bette
, and more economical in the end. From
fifteen to eighteen tons per acre may bC
produced and this is equal TO at eas
, six tons of hay for feed When | sa,
+ that this amount of food in corn can b,
produced on an acre, | have referenc,
TO our native or Northern corn. Will
= the large, Southern corn, or some o
the Western varieties, very many NOR,
} tons 10 the acre can be grown. Ever
2 thirty, and, in some instances, forty
e tons have been reported as grown upoI
4. a single acre. But | do not think i
advisable to raise these large, coars
, varieties that do not mature, for thl
: weight OF the green fodder corn pei
q acre is no indication of the true Valu
q of The crop. In an eighteen ton crop o
I fairly mature corn, there should be a
f least twenty-five per cent of dry matter
which would give 5000 pounds of DR.,
+ matter per acre, while fifteen per cen
i. of dry matter would be a fair tstimat
a for the immature corn; and thirty ton
a would give just the same amount of dr.
o matter that the eighteen ton crop cor
a tanned, showing that the extra twelv
n tons were nothing but water. So W
In | may ett ludb lC Op uSNd III III
r choice of varieties, and, as a rule, tn
il largest variety that will ripen its see
e in the locality, well grown, should b
q selected,
d The right time for cutting should b
Il observed. Experiment station wor
II and observation has shown that tn
4 proportion Of nutritive matter col
IL iaiued in the corn plant is much create
IL when the plant has reached maturit,
q and that the ratio of increase in foo
II value lie very much greater during ii
q. last stages of growth; hence it shout
r. be allowed to stand nntil it is well
n in the milk. 1t greatly improves froi
ID that stage on through the roastin
period, till the glazing Of the ear, whe
ID it is perfect
d The methods in harvesting and fec
n ing the corn crop will be determined b
a. the conditions of the individual farme
RS The old New England method of lie
ID ting it stand till ripe, then cut and pr
ID into stocks, to remain till thorough
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