Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-04-24

There are two round silos on the
farm, each ten feet in diameter and
thirty-four feet high. These together
hold about 100 tons Of sllage, and this
quantity of corn silage is produced on
four acres, planted about June %.
Eleven men, three teams and traction
engine to run the cutter are employed
in filing the silos.
There Is no systematic rotation OF
crops on this farm. 1t is not necessary
since every foot Of land receives an
abundance Of manure every year or
two. Every green crop grown on the
place is utilized for soiling purposes,
more or less, the surplus being con-
verted into hay or silage. The crops
grown are rye, timothy and clover,
corn, peas and oats and millet. At
least two crops year are harvested
from most of the fields. The grass
crop Is a mixture, the seed sown being
as follows Red clover, six quarts;
timothy, five quarts; alslke, two and
one-half pounds; redtop, one pound.
The farm Is divided into twelve small
parcels, varying in size from one
fourth acre to two and One-quartet
acres. In April, 1903, six Of these five
or six acres in alD were in grass.
About half Of this was sOwn the last
week in August, 1900, one-fourth in
1901 and one-fourth in 1902. That
sown in 1900 was cut once for hay in
the spring Of 1903 and then plowed
for late corn. The crops which pre-
ceded these plats Of grass We're in
two cases rye, grown the preceding
winter.
When this was cut for soiling or for
hay the ground was plowed and har'
rowed into fine tilth. One and hall
bushels per acre of German millet were
then sOwn. This was cut for hay be
fore 1t had made seed. The land was
.plowed again and narrowed into fine
tilth. Grass seed was then sown broad
cast late In August. Sowing thus ear
ly, using no nurse crop, gives a full
crop the next year. In fact, because
of the farms fertility, three large crops
are cut the next year after sowing
grass in August. Two cuttings are
made the second year. In the spring
of the third season, If the crop prom
ises to be abundant, a crop of hay Ii
taken before breaking up the sod fol
late corn. IL the grass crop Is scanty
the sod is broken earlier for any croI
for which 1t may be needed. The SOC
is always heavily top dressed during
the winter before 1t Is broken up.
Some OF the fields are kept IN rye Il
winter and corn IN summer Indefinitely
Rye Is sown broadcast at the rate o
two bushels per acre, the seed beinl
covered by spring tooth harrow. Th'
hay made from this rye is readily eat
Ell by the stock, but part of 1t Is uset
for bedding. Three Of the twelve sub
divisions of the farm are thus devoted
regularly to rye in winter and late corr
in summer Oats and peas are some
times sown IN early spring on liant
sown in rye the previous fall, the ry,
being turned under in spring. Some
times q piece of corn land is left bar
during the winter and sown to Oat
and peas the next spring. Grass Is oC
caslonally sown OH land from whlcl
solllng corn has been cut. One smal
field was devoted to oats and peas TO
several years and then put down i
grass, to be followed by corn. 0at
and peas do not fit very well into tn
cropping systems followed on any @
these small fields. They must be SOW
in early spring and are off early /
July, yet they yield so much nutrition
hay or soiling material that Il sma
area is usually grown.
The method of handling manure o.
this farm can he used only OH farm
Oh which stock is kept in stalls. Be
hind each row of cows is quite
eighteen inches wide and seven inche
deep. These cutters have no outlets
They are thoroughly cleaned dali!
CThe whole barn is disinfected twic
a week, and the interior Is frequent
whitewashed) When cleaned the gu
ters are sprinkled with ashes or Dir
dirt to absorb what moisture may !
present During the day quantity {
absorbent, consisting Of leaf mol
rotten sod, etc, Is placed in then
Each gutter ends near a door, IL
manure Is lifted from the gutter I'M
n cart backed up to the door. III
end of the gutter next the door
: slightly lower than the other end. Or
D man lifts the manure with fork an
. places II In the lower end of the trenc
3 A second man then lifts II into Il
cart. In this manner the liquid m
J, nure Is all got into the cart Final
| the fragments that remain In Il
= trench are swept TO the lower end ar
J removed The cart goes immediate
Q to the field, and the manure Is sprei
Il at once. In summer It Is spread {
: the land from which the sOiling GRO
i are removed. In winter 1t Is sprei
Q on the rye and grass fields, on the ID
l. ter particularly when the ground
S too soft to place It upon the rye field
Q No manure is used on newly seed
Il grass lands, but the second ana thi
year grass fields are top dressed
i winter.
y Since this account was first preseI
IF I'd In 1908 marked economic chang
z; have occurred, which, IL this far
II We're still In operation MS It was the
10 would materially affect the profit {
d tained, Most of these changes relG
II to the price of concentrated feedi
Y, stu0fs, The writer is of opinion I'll
e. under present conditions this farm
t. smaller than dairy farm ought to
N especially before tho land has bo
in made exceedingly fertile, II Is NJ
ID. very desirable TO have tho dairy fal
4. Ill H.