The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-09-13

VI ol - LIZ ~
the vines when the peas are turning
purple, or are about ripe, always De.
fore the leaves begin to fall. ma II
there is the least indication OF ram
follow Immediately behind the mower
and stack. 3rd. The method Of stack
ing is very important. First cut a
pole. twelve feet long; and put 1t IN
the ground two feet; 3rd, put two
cross pieces Exactly two feet from the
ground, mailing them fast to the pole.
Be sure the cross pieces are no closer
to the ground than two feet. The top
of the pole should be first trimmed
sharp at the top before raising. Then
stack all that the pole will hold with
out packing. Do not allow the pole
to protrude through the top of the
stack. A cap Of crab grass would be
a splendid Gaping. Always cap with
crab grass if possible. Lastly: If there
is not the slightest sign Of rain you
should allow the vines to wilte1
through the hot sun and stack late in
the evening. l do not believe an even
ings dew does the hay any good but
rather, if a heavy dew, does much
damage. Better stack the
moving before any dew falls.
Quite a hot discussion was raised at
one time in the convention when l
asked for information on h Best
Method for Saving Fodder.
Some said the method Of cutting
the whole stalk and ~shredding was
the best while others said they had
tried that method and would not have
the forage to feed upon again. Now
l want to say just here that l am
not fully prepared to say the shred
ding whole stalk method is the best
but am inclined to believe it is, all
things considered. But to the farmer
who has no shredder and cannot nire
or borrow one from his neighbor /
would CiJooocf th0t No "n5t until tho
corn has fully matured, even if the
fodder from the ear down is parched,
then cut and shock the tops in the
field the same day they are cut and
he will be sure to save the majority
of his fodder, rain or shine. You Will
find that the stock will eat some Of
the tops and all Of the fodder What
stalks are not eaten will make splendid
bedding and GO back on the land as
good manure. / am fully satisfied
that the old method of pulling all the
fodder from the stalk is the costlicst
method ever followed. There is more
than half of all the fodder thus
pulled lost in the field by rain. | met
two young men a few days ago who
said they had just pulled two thou
sand four hundred bundles and lost
twelve hundred bundles by the ram
besides their Very hard labor.
If after the tops have been saved
IL IOodtI is " y p1ItIeu you ca
easily pull three times as much from
the ear down as could be pulled tho
old way in the same length Of time
and then besides the saving of the
tops, partly as food, but more especi-
ally as bedding is far better, and sc
much more economical. SO many pull
fodder before the corn has matureu
trying to save bright fodder and a
the same time damaging the corr
more than the fodder is worth ant
often loose all the fodder before i
cures, by rain, also losing the labor
BY all means every farmer SHOULD
lay by all his corn and peas. We
rme must see to it that our land
is improving every year. We mus
put back, in the way of legumeS, more
than the corn or, what ever crop We
may have, draws from the land. Ever
5 the Sandiest land will continue to i'm
5 prove, il put in corn every year, pro
; vldlng 1t is laid by in peas and thu
whole vine turned under. BY al
!. means we should have a cover crop
such as annual clover, vetch, whea
! or oats. If your land is not adapted
to clover, and YOU are afraid to at
tempt much at the high price Of seed
then try a little and put in the sure
crop rye. Rye is a good winer cover
crop and q sure one. / raised tht
finest winter oats by the open furrON
method, the past two winters, | ever
: saw. My neighbors said they wer,
D the finest they had ever seen. Yol
S can plant them in your cotton field:
: three or four drills to the middle ant
| be sure Of a fine yield if the land i
e good. The open furrow protects tn.
t seed from frost and a good crop i
almost always certain.
t 1t is always best to have q white
cover crop OF something you can save
t for feed in the spring, for the tubbl
q nnfS tho monaco IVY b,,r j., - 49, ~ :
and yields a profitable harvest. Ry,
! is a sure winter cover crop on poo
e land while others are not so sure t.
succeed, but is not much as a forage
y You seldom see a terrace across an,
fields of the Northern States simpl,
e because they follow the rotation sys
{ tenn, putting in grasses or grain, O.
T clOVerS after corn and always hat,
s a winter cover crop of some kin
e which nreYeutS the land from wash