The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1906-04-09
Experiment. Station Bulletin 81.

Experiment. Station Bulletin 81.
GROWING FEED FoDDER CORN.
Where there Is not natural
meadow on the farm the growing
of rough feed becomes very
important factor, and especially
when there are but few acres
under cultivation. This alone is
responsible for the few animals
kept. Unless rough feed is pro
duced there is no profit in live
stock. Hay at it's best, will pro-
duce only from three to three
and one-half tons per acre during
the season. Fodder corn may
be grown to take the place Of hay,
and will produce from five to
eight tons Of cured feed to the
acre. This large yield makes the
growing Of fodder-corn Of the.
greatest Importance in this sec
ton of the state. Corn will not
generally mature for grain in
the northern tier of counties to
any profitable extent, but for
fodder it yields abundantly and
attains sufficient maturity for
this purpose,
Plant in rows three feet apart
and from three to four inches
apart in the row. The rows may
be double that is, two rows
about three or four inches apart
nd then the thr ee feet between
the double rows to allow cultiva
ton. The plants grow up so
thick that no weeds grow in the
row. No ears are formed, owing
to the thick growth. All the
nutriment of the plant goes into
the stalk and leaves. The stalks
are fine in texture and are eaten
up as clean by the animals as a
good quality. of hay.
A grain drill is best for plant
ing, stopping up all cups except
those at right intervals. When
grain drill is not used, it may
be sown with garden drill, or in
the absence of this, it may be
sown by hand, running burrows
three feet apart, sowing along il
the burrows and cover with har
row. The ground should be
plowed and narrowed first AND
gotten in the best possible condi-
ton. ~
The fodder corn crop should be
cultivated once a week during the
growing season. The ground
should b,.!manured for fodder
corn. In fact, the soil cannot be
too rich for this crop. ~. ~,
For seed any kind of: ordinary
seed corn will do. It should :. be
sown between May Goth and
June 1st. Sow from 8 pecks to
Il bushels per acre, owing to
wheter in single or doub rows.
Any seed house will supply the
seed at from 81 to-, $1.5O. per
bushel.
This fodder-corn will attain
sufficient growth in ninety days
to cut. It is best about two
weeks after the tasseling stage,
but may be cut even before
tasseling out if danger of frost.
tits most cheaply harvested
with a corn binder, but it may be
cut by hand. In either case
shock up in field right after cut.
ting and let stand in the field till
after the ground is frozen. It
may be stacked in the barn
yard in long, narrow shocks, set
ting the bundles upright, as
there is danger of heating il
stacked like hay.
It should be fed from the time
Of cutting, as it loses in feed
value late in the winter, owing to
excessive drying out.
One acre of fodder-corn prop.
erly grown will feed two to three
cows throughout the winter. Try
an acre, at least, to begin with.
1t can be grown for less than a
a dollar a ton, and for dairy cows
is equal to the best timothy hay.
Northeastern Minnesota can be
made the dairy section of the
state, but the first step must be
in growing seed.
A r MCGTTRE,.