Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1909-12-24


and they can depend upon from three
to four tons per acre of the cured pro-
duct every year. l havs given you
one reason why you ought to grow
fodder corn, to help you grow wheat;
to help you grow hull-less barley,
oats and every other kind of small
grain, but do not make a mistake, do
not have a cultivated crop follow Il
cultivated crop.
You know there are different ways
of growing corn. A man can go out
on prairie and break the ground,
putting seed in at the same time, and
cover the corn with the next furrow.
He may get considerable amount of
corn. ! am not saying that would
not be all right when man cannot
do any better, when he IS first start
ing out OH claim, but that is not the
kind of corn growing am referring
to tonight. am talking about grow
ing fodder corn in such u way that
the moisture will be held in the
ground for another crop. Now, then,
how shall that corn be grown. l
think it isimportant. when the ground
is broken. that it should he broken
to a considerable depth, say from
four to five inches. Plant the corn in
rows, making these rows three feet
apart. Sow the seed 50 the plants
will be eight inches apart. If the
seed is used in this way. it provides
for the loss of some Of the plants
when the land is narrowed. would
recommend that the land he narrowed
Immediately after the. corn is planted
with 4 wooden tooth harrow, with
the teeth slanting backward. would
recommend that it be narrowed as
soon rs the corn is out of the ground
and again after the corn is up some
distance and possibly fourth time.
1t should then be gone over with
the cultivatOr and followed up every
two or three weeks, even though
there are no weeds left. This should
be continued as it is intended to keep
the moisture in the ground as we'll as
destroy the weeds. I would advise
discing after you break the soil, in
order to get the proper pulverization.
will tell you another reason why
think fodder corn can be raised at
this elevation. AS far as can learn
the killing frOsts cease to come in the
spring along about the middle of May
and do not come in the fall until
some time about the middle Of Sep
TENDER. That gives TO days without
killing frosts, and where you have
120 days without killing frosts, you
can bank on it, with climate as
warm as those warm days you have in
summer. You are going to succeed in
growing fodder corn.
You farmers are not always going
to live by growing wheat alone. 1t is
not going to be the only selling crop.
You are going to farm something
along the lines of the farmers of the
middle west. YOu are going to intro
duce live stock farming. Now you
will see the Importance Of the corn
crop when that time comes, when the
prairie grasses are broken up and the
land farmed, where is the farmer
going to get his fodder to carry his
stock over the seasons. Tell me what
is going to furnish the summer fod-
der? Mr.. LutZ has come nearer to ii
than ,any man have met in this
vicinity, rs l understand this ques.
ton. lie told me that ten years age
he sOwed mixed alfalfa and bronze
grass. He stated to me that he cut
it for hay every year after the first
/ year, and that last year he cut it three
time, and the other years twice.
must say that mt first his statement,
seemed u little large, but have M
reason to doubt his word. He tOlt
me that he cut three tons to the acr,
Of this mixture. 1t is. my opinion
he would cut as much from alfalf,
alone.
Now if you grow mixture that i
going to raise that amount of hay,
would seem that you are not going t.
have any trouble in raising fodde
for live stock, even after the grasse
of the prairie are broken up: tire
tons to the acre, l believe he said
and lie told me the uplan.ls raise
one and II half tons to the acre. Thi
was not on irrigated land. Since
havh been in Montana | have nc
heard anything which has pleased III