The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-05-23

1000 IOr p up Gne HOW OIL HI
when pastures fail, and one a trial Ii
given it, the fodder patch a adjacent Il
the barn. if possible, is fixture. Opin
ions Ciff3r as to the best method o.
sowing the seed for this purpose. Sem
advocate planting in hills, some drlI
ing in rows three or four feet apart
and some SOW broadcast.
With the first method the cor plant
certainly develop faster;s the stalk
having freer access to sun and air
There also era not SO many roots t.
suck the moisture from the ground.
The facs that it makes a better growth
is against this plan when n want
succulent food and not hard stalks
The drilling method, when the seed i
put in rows three feet apart, is g better
one than the hiling system from the
fact that the plants are more closely
set and the growth of the stalk finer.
By this plan as we'll as the other the
corn can be cultivated to keep down
weeds and encourage growth.
The plan most favored by the writer,
and one upon which, taking it all
around, we have settled on, is to sou
broadcast with the grain drill the same
as any grain. The field is MANFRED
and made fine by blowing and harrow
ing, then drill broadcast as soon as tbs
weather and ground becomes warm.
The plants are thick enough go that
they are prevented from growing
coarse and hard and yet thin enough
to grow to good size. They remain
succulent much longer, and the COWS
eat them up closer than the coargcr
stalks, which are the result Of the other
system of growing. Weuse about two
and one half bushels Of seed to the
acre. Sweet corn is, without doubt,
better than common field corn, for
COWS at least, seem to like it better
but we usually SOW u principal crop
Of the common varieties. Dent makes
more stalks. To feed the corn we cut
what is needed for two feeds at noon,
using a scythe for the purpose. A vide
runnered sled, something like a stone
boat or dray, is used to haul it on 6s
soon as it is of convenient height to
load easily. This is drawn direct to
the barn and thrown in the alley be-
tween the rows of cows. Half is fed
at night and the remainder 7 ext morn
ing. The COWS eat it up pretty clean,
only a few Of the coarser stalks being
left in the managers.
Sorghum or sugar cane is much Us d
for this purpose IN some localities, and
is said TO be excellent as a milk. pro
Queer when fed green. Oats and peas
are fed in the same way are also recon-
mended, but corn is king on this dairy
both summer and winter. On it
we pu5 our dependence and it has
never yet failed US. Except for a few
months in spring and again in the fall
our o va receive very little rough feed
of any other kind. Hay is not an eco
der gives as good results, nor would it
be unless results yer twice as much
as from the fodder, as its commeI cial
value is about twice as much.
Feeding grain to COWS in summer is
considered by many as a useless *
.penditure of money, yet we always
give a ration of some kind, principally |
bran. THE, we believe, pays US, or we
not do it. The milking is always
done in the stable, and the cows are
ready to go in. There is no
c 1asing around the barnyard, but
everything is done quietly and in or
der. Let Us near the methods of other
Pfok ressive Farmer readers interested
in dsIrying. W. @. ROCKWOOD