Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-03-24
IMPROVING THE CORN CROP
EDITOR NEWS BUDGET

EDITOR NEWS-BUDGET:
Every farmer should read, if he has
not, the report of the experiment in
feeding cattle with silage by Prof Otis,
in the March 10th issue of the News
Budget. Prof. Otis is practical man,
and knows what he is about before it is
put before the public.
AS the value of silage has been dem
onstrated over and over as the best
winter feed for cattle, and is excellent
for sheep, it is high time that we should
wake up so as to cut down our feeding
bills. Besides its feeding value it gives
succulence, which every animal should
have when confined to the stables in
winter months. Roots come next in
this respect, but considering the labor,
silage is much cheaper.
And, while we can not at present
compete with the corn belt states in
raising corn, we can come pretty close
in number of tons of green fodder per
acre. From my experience with silos,
would say that it would pay for itself
the first year to the man that has ten
cows to feed.
A good rule to go by in building silo
is to build the height twice the dia-
meter-say silo Is feet in diameter
should be 80 feet high.
If we could raise but two acres of
silage to the acre on an average, it
would be equal in protein, which is the
highest priced element in feed, to two
acres of timothy producing on an aver
age Of two tons per acre.
The average of the corn crop could
be considerably increased if the seed
were tested, which can be done with
little trouble by having shallow box
say three or four inches deep and two
feet square. Place in the bottom of
this about an inch and a half of saw
dust, soak it with water and then place
a piece of cotton flannel on top of it.
This should be marked in squares of
from an inch and half to two inches
with indelible ink or pencil and num-
bered from one up. Then take four
kernels from each ear (the kernels from
different places SO as to be good sam
pie of the ear and place in square No.
l, and mark the ear No. l. Continue
in this way until the box is full then
cover with another piece of cotton fan
mel and about an inch of saw dust
sprinkled with water on top of that.
If possible place the box where the
temperature does not go below 70 de-
gress F. Look it over in three or four
days, but be careful that the upper COW
er is picked up even, as the sprouts are
liable to fasten to it and drop off onto
the wrong number. Pick out those that
show strong vitality. All seed should
be purchased on the ear and tested, as
it is quite customary to leave the corn
exposed to the weather which weakens
the vitality and kills the germ in
number of ears. When you consider
Vic COoC VI lcbOOl, VI olOWillS ctlHt Cu1tI-
waiting, land rent etc. where these dead
kernels were planted, the cost and
trouble of knowing what we are doing
is small in comparison.
Then it is quite important that we.
haye as good seed bed as possible, as
it is much easier to kill the weeds and
have the soil in shape for the best
growth of the plant before planting
than afterwards.
There are three important factors to
be considered when we stir up the soil:
that it helps to conserve moisture,
warm the soil and the making of plant
food available which otherwise the
plant cannot use. j, T, PRITCHARD.