The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-09-18
FARMER AND PLANTER.
FARM ECONOMICS.
Various Methods of Utilizing All the
Products of the Farm.

L
Various Methods of Utilizing All the
Products OF the Farm.
Last year tried m ore economical
method of raising and handling my
corn crop. Instead OF planting 1t In
mills l sowed it with drill, thereby
saving several days work. 1t began
raining as soon as the corn was drilled
and if l had taken the time to mark
the ground and plant it by hand
would have been interrupted by this
rain and compelled to refit my ground
as the rain was heavy one.
The hoes were all removed from the
drill with the exception of the two
that sowed the corn. We buckled the
neck-yoke as tightly as we could and
then it was difficult to control the ma
chimes. 1t would run steadier with
all the hoes in the ground. We
| got the rows so crooked that we
got IL acres of corn on IL acres Of
ground. Although the rows were
crooked they were wavy and easy to
follow with the two-horse cultlvator.
Where corn is planted by hand the
planters overshoot the mark three or
four inches when going one way and
as much the other way when going
back. This makes sharp joys in the
rows that are much harder to follow
with cultivator than the curves made
by the drill.
The corn could only be cultivated
one way and my boy went over tie
field twice. 1t should have been cult
waited again, but haying came on and
the work was not done. In consequence
the corn rows were full of weeds
gave $l.25 per acre for cutting the
stalks, and there was double the
amount there would have been had it
been planted in hills. 1 hired part of
the field cut with corn harvester. 1
paid so cents per acre for this. The
Irvine cost 2s cents. / furnished the
team.
Stalks bound by machine can be put
into substantial shocks, and are in
good shape for being hauled from the
held. A great many ears were broken
on, and these gathered with team
and wagon and fed to my hogs without
husking. Part Of the field had sown
to small kerneled sort Of dent This
had been sown so thick that it did not
care well, much of it was soft and /
fed it in the bundles to my cows l
had about six acres of it that fed in
this way. / fed IS head of cattle and
three horses all winter on it.
Corn left with the husks on keeps
softer and Is masticated more easily.
The husks necessitate more chewing.
A sow and six November pigs got most
OF their living on the manure piles.
They were always on hand when the
stables were cleaned. No bell was
needed. For punctuality to meals hogs
beat the world.
My cow did well, and the hogs did
we'll. This method is little hard on
the miller, for the hogs got his toll; but
! have helped him purchase two $500
hddles and am Woodworking about him.
The cheapest way know of for get
ting large quantity of fodder is to
drill corn, cut 1t with . harvester and |
feed 1t without husking.
Ny large crop of corn fodder, ensil- |
age included. made a sale of hay DOS
sible. had about thirty acres OF hay
that was hardly an average crop. as
half OF it was old meadow. sold %
tons, besides having timothy to feed
my four horses through fall and spring.
! cut eight acres of clover on wheat |
stubble from spring seeding that 1 fed |
with my stalks. Inever fed better hay,
everything relished it. horses, cows,
calves, hogs and hens.
One year ago this spring lost a |
three-year-old heifer at calving time. |
She was in good flesh and 1t
seemed like q waste to bury so |
much meat. drew the carcass
into the hog pasture back Of the barn
and left it above groudd. The wealth
err was quite cold yet, and by the time
there was any stencil from it the hens
had eaten nearly all the flesh. They
were at it at daylight in the morning, |
and visited it the last thing before go
ing to roost. A great egg harvest was
the result. Sheep that die in the win
ter should be skinned, the cntrails
thrown to the hogs and the carcass
quartered and nailed up in the hem
house, where the poultry can reach it.