The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-07-07
Emergency Crops.

Not for many years, If ever, has
there been such continuous and pro-
tracted rainfall at this season of the
year as we have experienced during the
months of May and June, and there ex-
lists great anxiety in regard to the ell
feet of 80 much rain and cold weather
upon the cultivated crops. There is
little alarm about the hay crop, and
yet person is occasionally met who is
always looking for trouble and is disap-
pointed if it isn't found; who sees in 80
much rainy weather great injury to the
hay crop and predicts that the grass
will be 'thin and spindling" on this ac-
count; but there isn't much cause for
alarm in this direction. Probably IL
we had the making of the weather for
producing a maximum crop of hay we
should have mixed in more sunshine
during the past month, and yet we pre-
dict when the time for making hay ar
rives there will be the heaviest crop
grown in recent years. But it is to the
crops upon cultivated land to which we
wish to call special attention.
Owing to the excessive rains there
are many fields of corn and potatoes
that have failed TO grow and hundreds
of acres intended for these crops that
have not been in condition to plant
with any crop from this same reason.
This will make q serious deficiency in
the farmers feeding supply unless
something is done TO, in some degree
at least, take the place of these crops
by the growing of all the forage pos
sible through the medium OF oats, bar
lev and the millets, and under the cir
cumstances we have called these emer-
gency crops. Each of these will make
dried fodder of the very best quality
and when grown upon land fitted in
proper shape for corn will yield immense
crops. Three tons or more to the acre
of dried fodder is not an unusual crop
and there is yet ample time to grow q
full crop of either of the above named
plants. The millets being especially
hot weather plants do not need to be
sown under any circumstances unit
the first of July, and oats or barley
) will have plenty of time to mature sui
| ficiently for fodder. These crops will
| not quite take the place of good corr
crop, for that, when cured in the silo, ii
the ideal crop of New England. The
acreage of recent years should bt
doubled and the crop mainly grown by
, machinery. The next best crops are
those we have named, and every rod o.
land intended for corn or potatoes
should be at once seeded to one o.
) these crops.
If these crops are sown in such way
, as to produce a maximum yield it vii
be better to pillow and seed to grass
after the crop is taken off than to un'
dertake TO seed with the crop. A catch
of grass can frequently be secured witt
either of these crops when sown early
in the season and seeded thinly, but
except on very moist land, would moi
be advisable now. The extra amount
: of fodder that can be grown without
, any regard to the grass crop will 60
long way in the expense of blowing
and seeding later in the season wher
the stand of grass will be practically
assured. In farming, as in other mat
| tiers, it is better to do one thing wei
than to half do two things, which finds
an application in this matter of growing
forage crops. We have seen a ligh
yield of fodder and poor stand O.
grass in trying to accomplish both a
one seeding, which will usually occur a
J this seasons sowing, unless the land ii
exceedingly rich or moist.-Mirror ant
Farmer.