Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-11-07
AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN.
Interesting Letters from Hancock
County Farmers.

County Farmers.
The bulletin OF the State board OF agri-
culture appears this month In new and
improved form, and farmers who receive
it will notice it comes without a stamp.
This has been made possible by an act OF
Congress, approved June s, 1900, under
which ali periodical publications issued
from known place of publication at
stated intervals r. frequently as four Times
year by state departments OF agriculture
shall be admitted to the mails AS second
class matter, provided that such matter
shall be published only for the purpose Of
furthetiug be objects OF such depart
ments aud shall not contain any sdvertis-
ing matter.
This will make a great saving in post
age and at The same time allow the board
to treat subjects more fully, as the bulie-
tin now may, II necessary, exceed the
one cent limit in weight. The board in
vites u more futl aud exhaustive treat
meut OF alt subjects lLan formerly and
will be pleased to receive articles from
anyone on any subject, which may be OF
interest and value to its readers, and
which may have been suggested to the
writer by his own experience or by arti-
Giles In the bulletin.
Bulletin No. 7 contains the following
interest ing letters from Hancock county
farmers:
BRooKLIN-Tnes stock feeding problem
Ii an important one, and not easily
solved. | think each one must decide
largely for himself, though certain gen
erai principles apply to all. To provide
for the needs Of season OF drought like
that OF this year, one should commence
In early spring, when planning ior the
seasons crops. Though l have had no
experience with siios 1t seems to me that
such seasons as the present are just when
they are most useful. Certainly q well
filled silo would help out wonderfully In
the feeding of farm stock. Low ground
hay should be cut early to be OF much
value, and so should grain l think, II the
straw Is to be fed to stock. l have gem
orally used 1t more for bedding than for
feeding. II cut fine 1t does very we'll for
young stock, fed one ration day. l
think one OF the uses that can be made
OF windfali apples Is to gather them q
soon as possible and feed them. This
benefits the crop OF next year by destroy
ing worms and helps the feed question.
For fall feeding TO save hay. We use
fodder corn, sweet varieties preferred.
Oats come next with me, for all stock
except mich cows. l have had trouble
about butter coming when the cows
were fed on oats cut before ripe. Per-
haps the oats stood too long and were
not green enough. have sown Hunga-
rian or millet for forage to help out he
hay crop, but it has not given satisiac-
tion because, while the cattle eat 1t
readily, the amount OF the crop obtained
has always been too small for profit.
Some of my neIghbors have had the same
experience. T.. +. cole.
DEER IsLE-Not much attention Is paid
to raising stock fodder in this section,
except corn to be fed green. No silos are
used. The corn fodder that WAS planted
was SO stunted by the drought that IL
amounts to very little, not over 70 per
cent. of & crop. Hay was excellent In
quality, and the actual value OF the crop
this year would probably be as great as
that OF the much larger crop OF last year.
/ hope to hear something OF the feeding
value OF apples. Some think they dry up
mich cows, but on questioning those