Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-08-27
coRNsTALks AND CULTURE.


Eds. Country Centleman-I agree
most emphatieally with A. c. s. Of
Wisconsin in his article on Corn
stalks" in your issue of Feb. II Up.
1857, and also in his praise of d..
Jordan and Prof. Roberts. Their
articles are always practical, and can
be followed intelligently.
have always felt got more from
cornstaks than the usual professor
will allow. They should be cut as
soon as possible without shrinking
the corn-when the kernel resists the
thumb nail l find is best. l leave the
shock hollow, and the fodder makes
perfectly, and there seems to be
enough sap to ripen the corn. Many
in this section the last year pulled the
ears and left them in the field short
, time to ripen, and put stalks in silo,
and report satisfactory results. l
think husking and shredding by ma
chine would be better, and intend to
| try it at some future date. have kept
flock of sheep and Angora goats al.
most wholly on the dry fodder this
winter, and they have done we'll so
far. They only leave the big stalk,
and l think if that had been shredded,
they would eat it all. There is no
danger of constipation, as with hay
l also derived much benefit from the
articles by l.. A. C. and Prof Roberts
in issue of Feb. 5. When | assumed
charge here, no cultivation had taken
place for several years, and the grass
had been allowed to ripen before cut
ting. The land l used for a garden
was light loan, badly infested with
witch or quack grass. | spread on
well-rotted manure at the rate of ten
cords per acre, and after blowing and
wheel narrowing thoroughly, sowed
fertilizer, one-half ton per acre, and
narrowed in, making as fine a seed
bed as possible, and planted the usual
variety of vegetables.
1t was an extremely dry summer and
light soils felt it keenly. | firmly
believe all that saved me from failure
was the constant cultivation neces.
sary to keep down the witch grass.
That was the best lesson on dry mulch.
ing ever received. | believe fully II
all your articles on thorough cultiva-
ton, and know in many cases, where
the land is clean, we fail to do our
duty. The second, third and fourth
years | repeated the quantity of ma
nure, and not until the last did the
land show life. Before, it seemed
dead Enough manure was used t.
make at least six inches in depth
How long does it take to restore the
humus with my treatment, and is
there a better way when time and
money is the object?
l should like to ask another ques
ton. My corn was on grass land
light loan in poor condition. | in
tended raising fodder oats, with fer
tilizer, then seeding with same. Would
it be better to plow under a green
crop, then seed, using ashes and
ground bone as well as fertilizer?
use high-grade animal fertilizer
l wish to add that your paper is a
continual source of knowledge and in
SEPARATION to me, and that you are do
ing a great work for the country.
| John X. Sheffield.
| Worcester County Mass.
The liberal applications of manure
have already furnished a certain sup
ply of humus. Just how much it is
most profitable to secure it is impos-
sible to tell. We think there is a far
better way to secure humus than to
put on so much expensive manure.
You should read "The Fertility of the
Land" ($1.25 from this office. and
then you will see that the quantity of
manure you have applied furnishes,
probably from 10 to 20 times as
much plant food as the first crop re-
quires. Manure applied in excessive
quantities is subject to constant
waste, especially of its heterogeneous
compounds; therefore it is bad econ
omy to manure heavily with the view
of securing the necessary humus.
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