The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-10-10
SAVING CORN.
DO NOT PULL THE FODDER AND EARS
AS USUALLY DONE.

The Old Way Both Tedious and
Wasteful-Value of the Stalks for
Feeding Purposes-The Leaves Con-
tain Only IL Per Cent. of the Total
Digestible Matter of the Corn Plant.
Editor of the Nezos and Courier:
AS the time is approaching when the
farmers will have to begin saving their
corn fodder it may be useful to call
their attention to the value of the
part they usually leave in the field.
Very carefully conducted expert
ments made in the different States
| show that the often despised stalks
| contain more nutriment than the
| leaves and ears. The corn and stub
bic and husks contain 80 per cent. of
the total digestible matter produced
| by the plant, while the leaves, the only
part generally saved in the South con-
tain only II per cent. of the total di-
| gestible matter.
There is more digestible matter con-
| tained in the corn fodder from one
acre than in corn ears from one acre.
| The corn fodder, or stover-that is the
entire plant except the ear-from one
acre, yields as much digestible matter
as two tons OF timothy hay. There is
enough digestible matter produced by
the corn fodder grown in the Southern
States to winter all live stock existing
in them, if it we're properly preserved.
| When we'll preserved and properly
prepared this fodder will maintain dry
COWS and idle mules or horses without
other food. IF cotton seed meal and
! bran is fed with the corn fodder the
| full cost of the meal or bran will be
recovered in the manure, and in the
case of milch cows full flow Of rich
milk be kept up; horses and mules can
be kept at steady work and main
tain their weight and strength, and
steers easily and profitably fattened
for the butcher.
Owing to the very short crop of hay
this year this question of saving forage
is most important one. Hay is high
and is going to be much higher before
the winter is over, and even if our
farmers do not have to buy any they
must remember that what hay they
use costs them just what it could be
sold for, and they could sell all they
make if they would get it baled and
sent into the city.
The cornstalks should be cut at the
same time fodder pulling is ordinarily
done. The best way to cut the stalks
is to use short handled hoe, Gan old
one having the handle cut off so as 20
leave it aboutt two feet longl gather the
stalks under the left arm and cut them
off with one blow of the hoe as near
the ground as possible. Put all the
stalks from, say, twenty eight hills,
flour rows and seven hills in each row
IN a stack, or stock, as it is called. Be
careful to spread the butts we'll out
for two reasons, one, to make sure OF
allowing the air to circulate through
| the stack or to give it good base and
Iprevent its blowing over. Tie the
tops together very strongly with a
stout cord to keep the rain from run
ming into the centre of the stock. The
corn (ears) will ripen in the stock just
as we'll as if allowed to stand on the
stalk in the field
| When the corn is dry enough to &c
in the crib it should be husked and
the stalks tied into bundles of size con-
venient for handling, and either hauled
to the barn at once, and this is the
better way, or they may be made into
stocks again, or large stack may be
built. If this last is done platform
of poles should be built where the stack
is to stand, raised SO as to allow plent,
of air to circulate underneath, a gooC
pole being set in the ground as io
nay. The stack is made by leaving
the bundles with the butts on the out
side Of the stack. Lay enough extr;
bundles near the pole in the centre tt
give slope outward to all the bundles
Increase this pitch as the stack rises
and finish off with long hay or straw
bound tightly around the pole; an ole
wagon tire placed over the top of tn
stack will help to keep the top from
blowing off in high winds.
The simple and lazy way TO see'
stalks is to throw them down Ill III
yard and let the cattle eat what the
Twill of them and tread the balanc
into the ground, bat there is !l,tl
money in this way. The mos. nu'fl
ltious part Of the plant is the stalk
(which, as it is hard, the cattle will no
Ieat, and it pays every time to cut tn
fodder with broad axe or hatChet,
I no better machine can be had. Bu
the fodder cutters are SO cheap no'
!. that if one has only few animals I
: feed he will save the cost of a cutie
in one season. He gets the full valu
!. of his fodder in feeding and has n
long stalks to bother when ploughin
If under or in cultivating.
x 1t will not pay to keep any stoc
e for profit on fodder or hay alone.
q cannot imagine case when it Wi
pay to keep an animal that is nc
gaining in weight or strength or pre-
ductive capacity. For any of the:
purposes the concentrated foods al
most essential. One Of the best {
these and fortunately, also, one of th
least costly, is cotton seed meal, whic
has the wonderful peculiarity that aitt
having seryed most important foo
its value as manure after having bee
d gested by the animal is greater ,ha
its original COS, Of food, being some
thing like sa5 ton.
Steers, fed six to ten pounds of CO