The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-04-14
AGRICULTURAL.
Selling.

While | am firm believer in the |
soilng system, would not advocate |
combining the cows to the stable con-
tinually. To avoid this we have q
small permanent pasture of some three
acres which the cows have for place
to run in during the summer. They
are never allowed the use of this lot
till the grass is we'll started in the
spring, usually about the first of May,
which affords them feed for week or
ten days, after which feeding is again
resumed. During heat of summer
months cows are stabbed during the
day and allowed to lie in barnyard or
lot as they choose during the night.
Cows are always stabbed and fed grain
ration at milking time, both summer
and winter. All forage crops are fed
them in the stables, except the evening
feed in warm weather is fed them in
racks placed conveniently in the barn
yard.
There is long list of the so-called
forage crops. Winter rye comes earl
lest in spring. If Gown early in Sep.
TENDER will usually be ready to feed by
April l. Prefer sowing rye broadcast
at the rate of two bushels to the acre;
grows a finer stalk and is more readily
eaten. Sow again in October, usually
after late potatoes, ground can be easily
fitted with disk or cultivator. Harrow
in rye and at same time getting any po-
tatoes that have been missed.
Crimson clover promises fair to ill
space here between rye and our COM
mon red clover. Have only sowed the
crimson two seasons, but am inclined
to think very favorably of it. The
period when it is at its best, however,
is comparatively short, but is fully three
weeks earlier than the red clover.
Usually two crops of this are cut from
the same ground and in season like
the past one very fair third crop could
have been cut.
After clover, oats and peas are fed.
Sow as early as possible in spring.
Have tried different ways of sowing.
Prefer blowing the ground, sowing peas
at the rate of two bushels to the acre,
broadcast, then harrow and fit the
ground and drill in oats, two bushels to
the acre, and roll in order to have a
smooth even surface. Two or three
plots of oats and peas are sown at inter.
walls of two weeks apart. Millet and
Hungarian can also be sown and is
usually ready to feed before the early
planting of sweet corn, which should
not be planted until the ground is
warm.
Have tried different varieties OF
sweet corn, but none Of them affords as
much feed as Stowell's evergreen.
Last season three different plots were
planted at intervals of ten days. Have
had good success drilling in corn with
grain drill by removing every alternate
shovel and shutting off the feed by 6
circular tin cut to fit, which leaves the
drills or rows sixteen inches apart
Just before the corn comes up, harrow
thoroughly, and again after corn il
three or four inches high, using slant.
tooth harrow. If care is taken horses
may be made TO walk between rows
and very little corn will be trampled
More quantity can be grown from {
given area by sowing thick, but will bt
at the expense of quality. By using
liberal amount of barnyard manure
you will not have any weeds, and corr
needs no further attention. Have also
planted the common field corn in thu
same way. Ensilage corn is also grown
for late feed, but is drilled in rows three
feet apart.
For convenience in cutting, all soil
ing crops are planted in long marrow
plots, as all are cut with the mower
hand cutting being too slow and tedious
Each days feed is cut as early in tn,
morning as convenient and while tn,
dew is on, as it keeps more fresh thai
if cut in the heat of the day, excepting
however, we bring in enough the las
thing Saturday evening for Sunday.
The cows are never fed more thai
they will eat up clean.
One of the advantages of soiling j
that you always know where your COW
are, and certainly saving of time, es
pecially if your pasture lots are any dis
lance from the barn. Much more ma
nure can be saved than by allowing
stock to roam at will. We try to grow
all forage crops as near the barn a
possible.
Sc far as can be done, we grow tw
crops from the same ground each sea
son. For instance, after early plot o
rye, oats and peas or sweet corn, an,
after first plot Of oats and peas, mile
or late corn, always aiming to manur
each plot once year.
Several years ago, three crops wer
grown from the same plot very success
fully. Rye fed in April, followed will
oats and peas, and again plowed ant
sown to millet, which was fed till fros
came. What remained was cut an,
made into hay. The past year, tel
cows were kept producing 81 $50
pounds of milk. The total area use,
for growing soiling crops did not ex
coed six acres.
By the use of the silo for winter fee,
and soiling for summer, consider tn
problem of how to keep more stock oil
our small farms solved.-Hoard's Dairy
man.