Hermanner Volksblatt. [volume] (Hermann, Mo.) 1875-1928, 1913-09-12

vided among the three reeds. Fine Ia
Bile salt is invariably used.
Every particle of roughage fed on
this farm, including hay and all soil
Ing crops. is cut in quarter inch lengths.
Even the bedding is cut thus.
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 silage. and this
quantity of corn silage is produced on
four acres. planted about June %.
Eleven men, three teams and a traction
engine to run the cutter are employed
In filling the silos.
There Is no systematic rotation of
crops IN 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
verified into hay or silage. The crops
grown are rye. Timothy and clover.
corn, peas and oats and millet AT
least two crops a 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; alsike. 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-quarter
acres. In April, 1908, six of these (dve
or six acres in ALI were in grass
About half of this was sown the last
week in August. 1900. o%ne-fourth in
1901 and o~ne-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-
coded these plats of grass were in
two cases rye. grown the preceding
winter.
When this was III for soiling or for
hay the ground was plowed and har-
rowed into fine filth. One and a half
bushels per acre of German millet We're
then sown. This was cut for hay be
fore II had made seed. The land was
plowed again and narrowed into fine
filth. Grass seed was then sown broad.
cast late in August. Sowing thus ear
ly, using nc nurse crop, gives n 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
Uses to be abundant, a crop of hay Is
taken before breaking up the sod for
late corn. II the grass crop is scanty
the sod is broken earlier for any crop
for which it may be needed. The sod
is always heavily top dressed during
the winter before 1t Is broken up.
=, Some of the fields are kept in rye In
/ winter and corn in summer indefinitely.
Rye is sown broadcast at the rate OF
two bushels per acre, the seed being
covered by 4 spring tooth harrow. The
hay made from this rye Is readily eat
en- by the stock. but n part of 1t is used
for bedding. Three of the twelve sub
divisions of the farm are thus devoted
! regularly to rye in winter and late corn
In summer. Oats and peas are some
times sown In early spring on land
sow in rye the previous fall, the rye
being turned under in spring. Some
times n piece Of corn land is left bare
during the winter and sown to oats
and peas the next spring. Grass is ocs
casionally sown on land from which
soiling corn has been cut. One small
field was devoted to oats and peas for
several years and then put down in
grass. to be followed by corn. Oats
and peas do not fit very well into the
cropping systems followed on any OF
these small fields, They must be sown
in early spring and are off early in
July, yet they yield so much nutritious
hay or soiIing material that a small
area is usually grown.
The method OF handling manur on
this farm can be used only or farms
on which stock is kept in stalls. Be
hind each row of cows is a gutter
eighteen inches wide and seven inches
deep. These cutters have no outlets
They are thoroughly cleaned daily.
(Tlie whole barn is disinfected twice
a week. and the interior Is frequently
whitewashed.) When cleaned the gut
tiers are sprinlsled with ashes or dry
dirt to absorb what moisture may be
present. During the day Il quantity Of
absorbent. consisting of leaf mold,
rotten sod. etc. is placed In them.
Each gutter ends near a door. The
manure is lifted from the gutter into
a cart backed up to the door. The
end of the gutter next the door Is
slightly lower than the other end. One
man lifts the manure with a fork and
places it in the lower end of the trench.
A second man then lifts 1t into the
cart. In this manne the liquid ma
nure is all got into the cart. Finally
the fragments that remain In the
trench are swept to the lower end and
removed. The cart goes Immediately
to the field, and the manure is spread
at once. In summer 1t is spread on
the land from which the soiling crops
are removed. in winter 1t is spread
on the rye and grass fields, on the lat
ter particularly when the ground iS
49, A. - = - A. ,v. lA1Ir. ~