Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-12-11

Stamford,

as the most successful cattle grower in
this part of the country and his discourse
was about profitable cattle foods.
Among other things he said that to-day
a vital question with every farmer is,
whaG are the best cattle foods? The last
appropriated sum for the purpose Of in
veStigating this subject, and the subject
of foods for the people is also receiving
much more attention now than formerly.
The most profitable cattle foods are
raised on the farm. In old times they
simply took the fertility out of the soil
and this went on until New England was
almost stranded. People began to desert
the farms and it looked as if the days of
profitable agriculture in this part of the
country were over. But now there are
agricultural colleges and experiment
stations in every state and the farmer
has been taught that he is manufacturer.
The elements of fertility are his raw ma
terial and his crops are his finished pro-
duct. We cannot sell beef as we used to,
owing to the great development of beef
in the west, and we have been forced in
to dairying, consequently the study of
foods for our cattle is one of the most
important to claim our attention.
And first comes hay, the most import
ant of all New England crops. Formerly
but little distinction was made between
the different kinds of hay. Hay was
hay, and that was all there was to it.
But in reality there is very wide diff
ference in qualities of hay. Hay, to be
what it ought to be, must grow quickly,
be clean and be cut early. None cut hay
too early, but great many cut it too
late. Science says that a perfect ration
for a COW is green grass, therefore the
nearer like that article we can have our
hay the better it is. There is no loss
from early cutting, and those who let
their grass stand too long, because they
think they will get more value per acre,
make great mistake.
Glover is very valuable crop and we
do not raise enough of it. This also
ought to be cut early, and it will yield
two or three crops year And the last
crop ought never be allowed TO stand. If
it is it will go to seed and after clover
has produced seed it dies II you don't
want clover to run out always cut the
last growth, even if it is not worth rak
ing. The cheapest fertilizing element
we can get is clover. 1t gathers nitro
gen from the air and stores it up for us.
Flowing clover under has often been re-
sorted to as a means of fertilizing the
soil, but the practice is very wasteful,
Its value as food and the manural value
is great, and it is clearly one of the most
profitable crops that can be produced on
the farm.
Rowen is another crop to which not
sufficient attention is paid. 1t is richer
in albumen than hay and is a very choice
cattle food. 1t takes richIIland to pro-
duce it, which is the chief reason why
more of 1t is not raised. Most farmers
are running over too much land. We
ought to get two crops year from ev-
cry acre.
Corn is one of the best crops, and it is
shame that New England farmers buy
so much. We can raise it cheaper than
we can buy it. But most farmers put
too much work on the crop. We ought
to raise it in the easiet way. think the
harvesting of the crop discourages many.
1t is cut and stacked and allowed to
stand in the field until half the fodder is
spoiled, then the corn is stored and
dried, and then carted to mill and home
again. 1t is long and wearisome pro-
cess, and all this work adds nothing to
the crop. The way to do is to plant it
with machine and hoe it by horse pow
er, and when the crop is ready to harvest
cut it close to the ground and put it into
silos. In that way we get one of the best
cattle foods with the least labor. We
can make the crop equal six tons of hay
to the acre. Oats and peas are also a
good crop, but forage crops alone are not
enough and so we mnst have grain.
1t is a mistake to feed corn except for
beef Oats are also poor feed for COWS,
and yet We see many milkmen buying
ground corn and oats for their COWS. 1t
is a great mistake. A COW uses two
thirds of what she eats to sustain herself
and the milk must come from the other
third. We should know what we want
before selecting our foods. My plan is to
feed for milk the same as l would for
growth. Corn meal produces fat chiefly
and is wasteful TO use it for the prOduc-
ton of milk. Bran, middlings, gluten
meal and cotton seed meal are all good,
for they contain the elements our pro-
ducts lack. The manurial value of foods
must be kept in view all the tine as well
as other things. Cotton seed meal is one
of the best foods and fertilizers. 1t is
strange that the Hoosac Valley Agricul-
tural society offers premiums year after
year for the best acre of sowed corn,
when all ought to know that it is wicked
to raise it. Ensilage is the crop to raise.
And to get the best results, even from
the best foods, the fl ed must be judic-
iously fed, to good COWS, and their treat