Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-29
DAILY HINTS ON
FARM TOPICS
By K. A. Kirkpatrick
soiling Crops.

Soiling Crops.
On q great many farms In this sec.
Ion, there will be q desire for soms
oil crop to help out the farm pasture
turing the dry part of the summer
season. A great many farmers use
.orn for this purpose. Some use
sweet corn. and various other crops
Such crops are especially desirable
where one Is carrying on dairy work,
out they are also Of much value IL
feeding other livestock. Very Otter
small plat may be put In near .
pasture fence, to be cut and throw
over when the grass becomes short In
he pasture. The following are
some OF the crops that have beeE
found desirable by the Iowa expert.
ment station:
Oats and Canadian Field Peas
Il was found most satisfactory tc
make two sowings Of this crop. The
f1rst sowing was put In a. soon as the
ground was ready for oats seeding 10
the spring. The second seeding was
made about two weeks later. Early
oats was used for the first sowing
and late oats for the second sowing
The flrst plot sown was ready for use
from June Is to July 8; IN bushels
81 oats and ~ bushels OF Canadian
peas per acre were used. These we're
put In with . grain drill. 1t was
found best to SOW the peas f1rst, and
to SOW them deeper than the oats
However, they may be sown together
with very good results.
Fodder Cane.-This furnishes .
very widely grown and at the SAME
tins palatable and nutritious feed
The cattle eat 1t readily, ana will
little waste. II sown early IN May.
the cane will be ready to start cut.
ting about the 10th of July. 1t should
be sown In small areas, so that II
may not become too mature before u
ID fed. On rich ground, 1t Is best tt
drill the seed with grain drill, US.
ing all the drills, for this tends te
produce a dense growth, with finer
Italks and less fibre. Sowing in THU
way requires about seventy pounds o,
seed per acre. In the experiment,
blot ct the station, the yield Of green
fodder was over twenty-three toni
Der acre. This cane, in addition K
being q valuable soiling crop, wher
Erown as directed. is q splendid crot
10 subdue wild morning-glories Ant
other perennial weeds.
Fodder Cane and Cowpeas.-Thi,
combination gives better feed thai
either cane or cowpeas alone. Ths
combination crop Is more palatabN
md contains a more nearly BALANCED
ration due to the protein contained
In the cowpeas, being combined with
I large amount OF carbohydrate
found in the cane. The crop shoule
not be drilled until the ground i,
safeiy warm. This will be shortl,
after complaining. 1t 10 best Z
| drill the cowpeas and cane separate
| ". The rate Of seeding used may 3,
one bushel Of cowpeas (Whip-poor
| will or New Era varieties) and thir
" pounds OF cane seed pei. acre. II
! the experiment plots at the statiof
the yield Of green feed per acre rat
from seven to ton tons on poor soil
and fourteen 70 fifteen tons on goot
soil.
Millet.-This IL not as good cro1
for soiling purposes as some OF tnt
others, but 1t may be used later y
the fall than cane or cowpeas. i
makes a good grade OF hay II cut be
fore It becomes too ripe. II one use,
the oats and Canadian field peas y
an early sowing, as above directed
he may follow the crop with SOW
', Ing OF millet in early July. This give,
the use u the land for two crops u
sne season. Millet 10 4 splendid
slant to put the soil In good physical
condition. However, It is not soil
suilder, ~ 10 the case with cowpoas
" Canadian peas. Some growers
rave found It desirable to mix soy
,eans or cowpeas with the millet and
nut the mixture for hay. Such q.
mixture makes one of tho most>splen-.
I'D winter feeds for dairy cows,
,heep, or for fattening cattle. In the
experiment. plat 1t the station, the
nillet was sown about July to H..
md the crop was green up until o.,
ober rs. Millet Is sown at the rate
II three pecks per acre. The yield
uns from two to three and one-hali
ons. If It is wished to mbine soy
,eans or cowpeas with the millet, II
will be we'll to cut down the seeding
! u millet to about two pecks and put
IN q half bushel Of the peas or soy
,eans.
Alfalfa.-Alfalfa may be utilized
or feeding green to supplement the
sastures. In case one plans to use
| he crop in this fashion, 1t would be
good plan to lay out the alfalfa plat
the pasture 50 that the crop would
10 cut In small amounts, and used tc
esd the stock outdoors, 1t may also
10 cut and hauled to the barns to
eed young stock or dairy cattls,
who're one Ii following dairying. II
| 8 one Of the first crops to be ready
use In the summer, and one tina,
asts until late In the fall. The plant
| 3 q perennial. and to obtain best re-
! mlts the feld should be allowed to
'emain in alfalfa for several years.
This plant also has the advantage OF
making the best Of hay II any portion
| 3 not needed for feeding green.
Other Crops Grown.-Rye IL some.
lines grown for soiling crop, but Il
l ~ ~ 4 = A.. - ~Hs.. -