Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-08-29
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FORAGE CROPS.
How Late Forage Crops Can He Sue
eessfuIiy Cultivated.

eessfuliy Cultivated.
The following good article was
awarded the second premium In
prize essay contest of the Michigan
Farmer. calling for the best written
essay ON the subject of forage crops.
The writer is Alfred Anderson OF Mus
kegon county Michigan.
What substitute for hay and forage |
shall we be able to plant as late as
the 10th of June, with no present pre- |
paratlon for same. and indications OF
n dry season as the last one OF 1897
Whatever Is done must be done in a
hurry The first thing | would do
would be to prepare piece OF land
for corn, as there Is, mt the above date,
plenty OF time for maturing crop OF
corn. The season OF 1894 | planted
the 9th day OF June, and from nine
acres harvested 800 bushels OF good
corn
l would select a sandy loan soil.
as there would not be much use 0f
attempting to prepare clay ground at
this time of year. Stubble land, or
some that had been recently plowed,
would be more likely to contain more
moisture and give corn a better start
than sod land. But In case ! could do
no better I would pillow sod about six
or seven inches deep, then roll and
drag thoroughly.
With the ground well fitted. | would
drill sweet corn in rows about three
feet nine inches apart and about four
or live inches apart In the drill Cul-
tiyate and work the same as for n
crop. Then would look the farm
over for piece OF moist land. piece
Of low bottom land, or reclaimed
swamp. and SOW some millef. and u
this is harvested at the proper time
before II gets too ripe IL VIII make an
excellent article OF hay. especially for
milk cows.
Rye would be the next substitute.
principally for forage. and think
likely II could be made to produce
fodder by sowing as soon as possible
after June 10. As To the quality OF
rye cut for fodder, I think II Is nearly
as good as timothy hay. Cut with the
binder just about the time IL blossoms.
Rye. think, stands at head Of for
age plants. would commence by
sowing the wheat stubble as soon after
harvest as possible. and then In the
corn at the last time OF cnltivating
The pastures we will now suppose 10
be getting rather short We are now
past the middle OF July aud our first
planting OF fodder corn. which should
have been planted about May - viii.
soon he ready 10 commence feeding.
II we have planned our planting
right we may have an abundance of
corn fodder up 10 Oct. /. when We
may commence turning In on the rye.
which will show its worth in the IN.
creased flow Of milk and with fntter
stock to commence the winter
For sheep raising. and these dry
seasons. rye Is almost Indispensable.
furnishing feed the entire season II
managed rightly. provided the winter
Is open. and the first thing In the
spring when some green feed IL need.
ed 80 badly for ewes In lamb. We
may now pasture the rye TIL about
the LIST OF May, then II we wish to Sc.
cure crop or cut for hay and turn
under for green manure. the stock can
be taken or which will give II N
chance to make ample growth for
crop.
The past few seasons hive demon.
pend upon pasture land for our stock.
II matters not how many acres we
have In pasture, when the terrible
drought Of summer strikes II, II Is
waste land. 30 that all the use we re-.
celve from our pasture land IL about
| two months out Of the year.
So II seems that the present method
OF pasturing stock Il expensive I'm more
/ go than fl.un irstN In nF ,ts.a,
sufficient returns from our land. aud
second by losing In quality Of our
stock and shrinking Of milk I'm our
dairy herds. which means not only
the present loss VI mix but the future
/ also.
II seems to me that the more econ.
omical and remnnerative way would
be the stabling Of stock through the
summer, thereby keeping more stock
on half the number of acres. The silO
would. no doubt, fill gap here that
we could not dispense with. II follow
ing this method
With the silo and feeding Of stock
throughout the entire year. we could
depend more largely on cultivated
crops such Ms would be- suitable for
ensilage, and the various root crops.
thereby securing ourselves against the
dronghts Of summer. and giving NJ
more tillabIe land, also an increased
amount OF manure to enrich our soil.
How "a Good Crop Was Raised.
Mr.. J. A. Baxter. Of wayerlnnd,
Kansas, raised iO4 bushels Of corn per
acre on five acres last winter .as In
acre on I'VE acres last season, and In
the March report Of the Kansas State