Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-01-12
Cows, Cotton Seed and Corn.

Cows, Cotton Seed and Corn.
1t pays to raise corn at present prices
and pays well. And 1t pays well TO raise
lii to buy cottonseed meal with, accord
| ing to Nels Louis Ericsson of New Haven
County, Ct. He has finished husking the
balance of field of 13 acres, putting in
his new crib 1000 bushels of ears. He
has also picked from five acres OF sweet
corn 450 bushels, which will be sold Tor
seed, netting the owner $500 at present
prices, besides the fodder, which Is no
small item.
All this corn was raised on land that
had been too poor to raise grass. Mr..
Eriksson bought this worn-out farm
three years ago. 1t contained 130 acres
and kept only eight cows and horse.
The returns are marvellous from 1t
already. 1t has been brought up where
it winters 80 cows, q team and not little
other stock, and the end is not yet. In
addition to the above, Mr.. Ericsson be-
lieyes he will have quantity of timothy
left for sale in the spring. he remarked
recently in relation to cutting the field
corn for his cows: ~ believe it the best
thing | could do under the present high
price for grain. could not afford to let
the milk yield shrink. needed the money
it was bringing. The corn was hauled to
the barn and put in the hangers, so that
none Of il was wasted. The work saved
husking and grinding about two acres.
But when the corn began To dry In the
fall, and the cows to bolt it undigested, |
stopped feeding it and went on to mill
stuff.
How did secure such great growth
ON poor soil? By feeding the cows cot
tonseed the previous winter. The field
contains the nitrogen from ten tons of IT,.
The milk paid for the cottonseed day by
day as it was fed, and gave profit. This
field of corn is by-product and one that
farmer may we'll feel proud of. Nor is
this the whole of the product. l shall
get some rank grass here for several
years. That field of three acres yonder is
an example of what cottonseed meal will
do for worn out soil after it has been run
through the dairy mill and left its sedi-
ment of gold dust in the cows udders.
"That land resembled the soil over the
fence, which / am assured has been
sowed TO rye for so years consecutively,
and which no man can afford to plow any
longer. had 90 loads of manure hauled
here from the barn as fast as it was made,
and seeded it to grass. The crop has
justified the expenditure. | got about
nine tons of choice timothy, worth $50
or more per ton. l save all the liquid
manure by using absorbents in the drops
and never leave any of it about the barns,
as | fail TO see how this improves it,
Yes, it is spread as fast as it is carted.
The only way to deal proftably with
these old Connecticut farms is to give
them such liberal treatment as they have
never known"
A single pair of horses has done all the
work on this farm in the past, but high
class Holstein bull will be broken this
winter to drive with steer, so the
blowing and other heavy work will be
divided in the spring. The bull will be a
more tractable and prepotent sire when
worked and more speedy planting and
harvest will be made with two teams
than with only one, as in the past. Mr..
Eriksson's opinion is his neighborS could
readily and profitably raise 500 to 5000
bushels of corn each, year in and year
out, and he says truly, that if they would
do so the crop would transform the town
in more ways than any body now can
know any ything about. He considers the
large use of cottonseed meal very profit
able for feeding his horses and even
calves, but it is mixed with other ground
grains. He says that by carefully pro-
portioning cottonseed with other feeds it
will never injure any stock, and certain
lv ths thriftv annearance of all of his
live stock proves his methods are correct.
The growing fertility of this farm speaks
volumes for what may be done by any
studious dairy farmer. - FL. s., Con-
necticut, in n. Z. Homestead.