The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1908-10-16
FATTENING A CoRNFIELp.

DAoNNNA VI NANP0- NNAAAi a 49,
work shows so plainly what two diff
fcrent men will accomplish with the
same piece of ground, working along
different lines, that it may be of val
ule In establishing the fact that
many farmers do not make all the
money they might, through lack of
scientific treatment of the soil.
In 1901 there was crop of corn
planted in this field in a poorly
prepared, mmpy seed-bed, The corn
managed to terminate and made fair
ly good stand. The cultivation was
inadequate and weeds came strong
and were never eradicated. The
ground was allowed to bake, and al
husking time this field made an ev-
erage of only So bushels to the
acre by weight.
The next year following this a
crop of oats was sown in this field,
yielding about 6S bushels. Then
the following year, 1903, | took pos
session of this field and plowed it
about five inches deep during the
latter part of August, this was
partly to kill the cockleburs in the
field and partly for my own conven-
fence. A good many oats were she'll
cd off In the harvest, and they came
on after blowing, making an excel
lent growth of coyer-crop, such as
rye would have been. 49,.
In blowing l was careful not TO
make any balks or skips, but to See
that every foot of the ground was
turned to uniform depth. Moth
ing more was done to this field I'M
til the spring of 1904, when l put it
into first-class condition for plant
ing, and used the same kind of corn
as grown there three years previous
Surface cultivation was used in tend
ing this corn, and care was used
to see that the roots were not ev-
en- injured to the slightest extent,
while the surface was thoroughly
stirred and converted into dust
mulch. We also pulled the weeds
by hand where they could not be
reached by the cultivator.
The summer was quite dry with us
and, while many stopped cultivation,
We kept going over the field at least
once a week during the whole sea-
son until the corn was so tall we
could not cultivate without break
ing the stalks Nothing more was
ddone to the crop except to gather it,
and / weighed out of this field 56
bushels to the acre. credit the
increase of q bushels entirely to
better methods of farming. The
seasons were very similar, the corn
was the same variety, the tools used
in both instances were the same make
aud the ground was poorer If any
thing for the last crop, as 1t had
produced crop of oats. The meth
DDS pursued made an increase Of q
bushels, and these methods are
hose taught in the agricultural col
leges of the corn belt.
But let us pursue the story of this
particular field little further. In
le05 | sowed it to oats and also seed
ed it with clover. The stand was
good and it cut slightly over two
tons of hay to the acre. Very late
il the fall of 1906, that is in Nov
ember, / again plowed this field,
and last spring planted it with
The same variety of corn, using
he best methods at my command:
when ! weighed out the crop in
i.s fall found out that in spite
CT the backward season, the field
ielded II bushels to the acre. Let
me add that ! am working the rota-
lion of corn, oats and clover on
my land, blowing the barnyard ma
hurea nd clover stubble. | pillow as
e in the fall as possible, 50 as
to get a good crop of second growth
on the clover for green manure.
vas compelled to pillow early at frs
t. eradicate the weeds, but the farn
is now quite productive and free
rom foul and obnoxious weeds, ant
is producing better crops every
vel.
| raise some stock and feed more
There is money in it for me, and
have fed balanced ration almos
tinually in fattening the stock
~ hough have used some short!
fattening the swine, they have
d mainly digestive tankage ii
balancing the ra,ions, but for cat
sc and horses / use very largely
,sr and hay, and good clover ant
Bluegrass pasturage with very littl'
onseed meal. In word try
get the cheap foods which arr
both palatable ana suitable for tht
ID in view. But / am firmly con
I'D, that, If man makes sue
rcss in fattening cattle where HI