Devils Lake inter-ocean., 1900-02-23

that this 10 just what is coming. OIL
course where corn is grown, it is pre-
supposed that the grower keeps live
stock. The corn could not otherwise
be used, since the idea would be to |
grow the corn fodder, It would not,
therefore, be husked. It would be 90
grown as to have ears on it, but they
would be small.
Tho kinds Of. corn to be grown have
yet to DO ascertained. This can only
be done BY experimentation, but It
must be some variety of varities that
mature within ninety days from the
time Of planting. It will include varie-
ties that, when scclimatized, will
furnish seed from Dakota grown corn.
That variety known as squaw corn will
not fill the bill, since it does not pro-
duce enough fodder. The time may
come when dent varieties will mature
in any part of North Dakota. Such
varieties as the Mercer flint is scarcely
bulky enough to meet the needs Of the
Dakota corn grower.
The corn thus grown should follow
grass. The grass sod turned under in
the fall or spring according as it can
! of the corn. It helps to keep the
ground moist. The shallow cultiva-
tion given to the ground also aids in
conserving moisture for the grain crop
that follows.
The corn should be grown with an
ordinary grain drill, and In rows not
more than thirty inches distant, using
two or three pecks of seed per acre.
1t may be we'll in some instances to
put it in double rows, that is to say, in
rows six or seven inches apart, two in
q place. Between these double rows
would be space Of thirty inches. The
object in growing the corn thus close
would be to get much bulk of winter
food without so much regard to the
growth of corn on the ear. In this
way several tons of excellent fodder
would be grown per acre. The corn
should be cared for like corn grown
elsewhere, that is to say, should be
narrowed from one to three or four
ttimes, according to the conditions, and
it should then be cultivated more or
less. Where large areas are grown it
would be resped with the corn har-
vester, and dried in round shocks.
From these it would be drawn and
stacked in long and narrow stacks
rom which It could be- conveniently
fed in winter. 1t should bs thus
stacked before the closing in of winter.
i GROWING THE GRAIN.
| The corn crop would leave the land
in excellent condition for growing q
crop Of grain. It would be moist and
clean. But in preparing it for the
grain it should not be plowed. To pillow
would allow much of the ground mois-
ture to escape by surface evaporation.
l T. nj kho 81
and bring up from below stratum of
seeds. After corn, the land should
simply be stirred or loosened on the
surface; whether more than one crop
of wheat or other grain should be
grown before the ground is sown with
grass will depend to q considerable
extent on the dryness of the climate.
Where moisture is usually deficient
; one grain crop should be enough.
Where it can be depended on, two or
three crops of grain could be grown
before the land would be laid down to
grass. If the grain crop grown was
; oats, for instance, it could be cut a
little short of the :ripening period, and
; fed to the stock in an unthreshed con-
dltion. In other words, 1t would be
fed as oat hay.
GROWING THE GRASS.
The grass grown should be that
newly introduced variety, the Austrian
bronze (Bromus inermis) This is a
wonderful grass more especially for a
dry country, although it will also grow
we'll under wet conditions. No winter
cold, apparently, nor summer heat, are
likely to kill it, after it has become
, we'll established, and it is not difficult
to get stand of Austrian bronze. 1t
is leafy in it's habit of growth. It will
, start two or three weeks earlier than
the ordinary grass of the prairie, and
it will also continue to grow late in the
autumn where moisture is obtainable
even in a limited degree. 1t is good
for pasture and is relished as hay. It
is as nutritious as timothy and is also
as palatable. It is also good pro-
. ducer of seed the year after it has been
,, sown and in some instances the next
year also,
The seed may be sown any time dur
/ ing the spring, when it is sown alone,
but it ught to be sown early. When
: sown along with grain, it should be
;. sown as early as the grain. The seed
Q is light and must therefore be Gown by
3 hand and on still day. It should be
J, covered with one stroke of a light
I harrow. About fifteen pounds of seed
Q should suffice per acre, though some
Q authorities recommend more than
r that. If sown with oats, the oats
q should not be thickly sown, least they
should shade the bronze grass too
i. much. Though the grass should not
i make much of showing in the
= autumn, the conclusion should not be
= reached that stand has not been OBJ
y y tanned, since it has great power to
thicken as it grows. In fact this
. power may yet prove one of its weak
! nesses, as it soon becomes so thick
as to check its own growth.
When seed is taken, the best yields
s are obtained the first year after sowing.
r The seed can be gathered in small
4 quantities by using the hand stripper,