The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-01-14
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
Should Corn Be Hasked for CastreY

Should Corn Be Husked for Cattle?
Probably majority of the cattle feeders
OF TINS section of the corn belt feed largely
husked corn, though snapped corn, sheIled
corn and cornmeal or corn and cob meal are
also used to considerable extent, says Prof.
Curtiss, Of the Iowa Experiment Station.
The most successful feeders are, however,
inclined to rely mainly on snapped corn
during the Fall and Winter months and
shell or grind that which is used later.
These feeders have largely discarded ear
corn.
My own experience and observation have
been that snapped corn is very much prefer
able to husked corn for feeding cattle. The
advantages are that it is safe and cattle are
much less liable to arrangement of digestion
and i'll effects of overfeeding. and the corn
retains softer, fresher and more palatabIe
condition through the Winter months with
the husk on than when it is removed.
prefer to have only about half of the huss
on, this being the inner and softer busk,
which IS very acceptable as feed, and to q
considerable extent serves as satisfactory
substitute for hay. In our feeding at the
Iowa Station We rarely, if ever, use any
husked corn. Snapped corn in Fall and
Winter aud corn and cob meal during the
Summer months are preferable to husked
corn. The snapped corn is run through
cheap hand cutter, which chops both ears
and husk into about two-inch lengths. To
this we add sufficient clover hay to give
bulk and small allowance of oilmeal,
gluten or cottonseed meal-the choice de-
pending largely upon the market price Of
these products-to add sufficient nitrogenous
matter to give the best results.
Essentials of Dairy Farm.
A roomy, clean, dry, light, and well-ven-
tilated stable or cow house. To produce
good milk, cows must be comfortable, and
these conditions not only add to their COM
fort, but are absolutely necessary to keep
them in the best of health
Healthy and clean cows, which appear well
fed and contented.
An abundance of pure water to which cows
are given access at least twice day
Feed of good quality the grain and coarse
fodder should be free from dirt, decay or q
mUsty condition.
A spirit of kindness toward the stock, ex-
hibited by everyone employed about them,
and gentleness of the animals themselves.
Provision for washing and steriIizing or
scalding all utensils which come in contacs
with milk.
Provision for strainipg, aerating and cool.
ing the milk in clean atmosphere, free from
all stable and other odors. This treatment
should take place Immediately after the milk
is drawn from each cow.
Facilities for storing the milk and keeping
it cold.
Especially great cleanliness in regard to
everything connected with the dairy. The
atmosphere of the stable should be pure and
free from dust when milking is being done.
Employees should carefully wipe the udders
and wash their hands before milking, and
should be in clean clothes. Whitewash is a
good disiDfectant, and should be seen in
many more stables, and land plaster should
be sprinkled about to absorb moisture and
odors.
Farm Notes.
The earlier the potatoes can be started the
better, as it is the hot, dry weather that
damages them. It is now customary to
sprout the small potatoes before planting,
handling them carefully, 10 order to secure
an early start. Now is the time to look over
the seed potatoes, throwing ont every one
that shows the slightest signs of rot, and
every potato used for seed should be care
fully examined. Do not use seed that came
from land where rot has occurred. Better
procure sound seed elsewhere, even if the
cost is increased by so doing.
The time to begin with the garden is as
early in the year az possible. First clean off
the surface by raking it, so as to collect the
dried grass and dead weeds, and burn the
refuse. Then spread the finest and best
manure on it, that which is free from litter
being preferable. Do not spare the manure
If the manure is well rotted all seeds of
weeds will have been destroyed. After
spreading the manure plow the garden as
soon as it can be done, leaving it rough
for the frosts to penetrate. Early in the
Spring pillow again. This method mixes
the manure with the SOIL The object is to
have the soil fine and free from coarse ma
terial of any kind.
Onions will endure freezing without being
injured, provided they remain undisturbed
IN contact with the soil until thawed. TAX
ing advantage of this, seedsmen plant onion
sets for seed late in the Fall, ridging the soil
over them. In the Spring. when the soil
thaws, these ridges are leveled down, when
the onion shoots burst through, send up their
seed stalks and bear their crop.
Take Hoods Sarsaparilla at this season 10 guard
the system against pneumonia and feyers