Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1898-06-10
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
A0RIcULTURfSTs.
Some Up-to-Date Hints About Gull
aviation of the SOIL and Yields
Observation-Disclosures viticuIture and
Horticulture.
About Shredded Corn Fodder.

About Shredded Corn Fodder.
To theuaitQr of The Farmers Re-
view: sSse read with considerable
interest the remarks at the Illinois
State Dairymen's convention on the
subject OF corn fodder, as given in your
paper of 9th and 18th insts. While
those discussing the matter realize the
great value OF corn fodder as feed
product when properly prepared. their
comparisons with other feed has not
quite reached the experience of some
others. Mr.. Giles Green, one Of the
largest farmers in Whiteside county
stated before a convention of farmers
that he had testedSthe value Of shred
ded fodder with good timothy hay as
feed for horses. He took a pair OF
the manger all the hay the pair OF
horses could eat in twenty-four hours,
and took out of the manager and weigh
ed what they had not eaten, and did
the same with shredded fodder, ana
found the horses had eaten only four
teen pounds of shredded fodder and
had eaten thirty-seven pounds OF tim
othy hay. The difference being 2h
times more hay to satisfy the horses
than fodder, which was an astonishing
statement to the farmers present. MIR.
Green has fed but little hay to either
horses or cattle. He finds the fodder
| Is much more satisfactory than hay,
and feeds from $50 to 200 head Of cat
tie, also large number Of horses each
year. The value of the fodder as
feed depends on the time it is cut on.
1t has been found that the proper time
to cut off the fodder and get it into
the shock is after the kernels of the
ear begin to dent, which is an evidence
that the drying process has COM
menced, after which the development
or growth Of the corn has ceased.
When cut at this stage the corn, when
shelled, will weigh more to the bushel
than when left to dry on the stalk be-
fore cutting. Cause, the kernel will
dry quicker and harder in the shock
than when left on the stalk on the
kernel will have pithy end, which
helps to make up the bulk to the meas
ure, but does not add to the weight.
When cut at this stage the saccharine
matter which produces the ear is still
inherent in the stalk, which is pre-
served by drying after being cut off
and adds to the quality of the fodder.
When horses are fed on timothy hay
their bowels become distended and
cause more or less constipation, while
with fodder the bowels can be kept in
| III 4,
uations easier and more healthy. The
same result will be noticeable in feed
ing cattle or sheep. When fodder is
plentiful feed it literally, and what is
not eaten may be used for bedding
1t will make better bedding than
straw, as it absorbs the liquids anC
droppings of the animals better. AS q
feed for milk COWS it is far better than
any kind of hay. 1t will produce more
milk and richer in butter fat than can
be attained from feeding hay. 1 think
Prof. Sanborn has given out as the re-
suit of experience with shredded fod-
der that when properly prepared it is
better feed for cows than ensilage;
while ensilage may produce a larger
flow of milk. the milk will not be sc
rich in butter fat. nor will the butter
keep SO we'll as when the cows are fec
on dry fodder. The condensed mill
factory at Dixon, Illinois, will not buy
milk from cows fed on ensilage, al
they claim the milk will not keep sc
well. am glad to see this discussion
going on in reference to the value O.
corn fodder. The farmers in the corr
growing belt have wasted enough O
their corn crop by letting the fodder
stand in the field to pay the nationa
debt every year, being satisfied to g
into the field and take the ear of corr
and letting the stalk go to waste, which
contains as much feeding value to tn,
farmer as the ear, although it is no
worth as much as a commercial com
modify. There are many farmers VIII
are not aware that the stalk on which
the corn grows is about equal il
weight to the ear of corn, that is,
field of corn which will produce tw
tons of corn to the acre will produc
the same weight of fodder. believ
1 was the first person to bring into no
tice shredded corn fodder as valuabl
feed, and / have some other expert
ments in process which will be won
derful development to the farmers il
the further manipulation of corn fod
der as feed which will show result
that have never been attained, and will
still further increase the value of tn
corn crop.
Some Wheat Experiments.
At the Kansas experiment station
some experiments have been carrie
on in wheat culture, and the following
summary is published in bulletin IL: