The Glasgow courier., 1916-04-28
CORN GROWING
IS ADVOCATED
BEST VARIETIES FOR THIS DIS
TRICT AND METHODS
OUTLINED.
BY Prof. Thomas Shaw

BY Prof. Thomas Shaw
In the Northwestern States corn
should be grown for three distinct
uses. The first is to provide fodder
for live stock in winter, and more es-
pecially in the form of ensilage. The
second is to be hogged off by swine
or eaten down by sheep, and the third
is to provide what may be termed
pasture. These are relatively import
ant in the order named.
For the first use mentioned, the
corn should be possessed of consider
able bulk. Unless the grower can
obtain not less than six tons of green
food per acre, it will not pay him to
grow corn for such a use. Ordinari-
ly he should look for not less than 8
tons, if such kinds as the Northwest
ern Dent, Minnesota No. 13 and Mer-
Ger Flint are grown. In some in
stances as much as 10 to IL tons will
be produced. While it is necessary
to have them mature. This of course
is desirable where such a result can
be reached, but they will make fairly
good fodder and also good ensilage
though harvested short of maturity.
But when such corn is put into the
silo, it should first be allowed to lose
some of it's moisture after it is cut
before putting into the same. Such
corn is not easily cured under north
western conditions in the stack or
even in the shock in many instances,
hence the aim of the growers should
be to cure it in the silo.
For the second use mentioned it is
essential that the grain shall mature.
To secure this end some smaller and
earlier maturing variety or varieties
may be grown. Those found best
adapted to this purpose in the past
are the squaw corn, otherwise known
=, as the Dakota White Flint and the
Gehu. There, if planted in season
and given proper care, should virtu-
+ ally mature almost any year in al
most any part of the northwest.
Though dwarfsh in growth they fur
nish usually 20 to 40 bushels of ears
to the acre, with an average of say
25 to 80 !.l;.els.
Corn thus begged c@, will give 25O
lbs. of pork rom an acre. This at
& cents a pou, q live weight, will give
return of $500 for the acre. II,
after it is hoeged off, the stalks arc
left, they will hold the snow, which
will mean .nore moisture to the lane.
he much better than that obtained
The crop of grain that follows VIII
from grain stubble land similar in
/ character.
When grazed off by sheep and
I lambs the grazing should begin as
soon as the corn is ripe. 1t may be-
gin before it us hard. But care
should be taken to introduce the
1 sheep to it gradually lest they should
eat to excess of a food too strong
for so sudden change. They will
: eat both the leaves and stalks in ad-
p dition to the corn. This method of
fattening both sheep and swine will
because of the great saving in labor.
4 be found effective and relatively cheap,
o Six or seven weeks Of such feeding
should suffice to fatten swine and eight
: to ten weeks to fatten sheep and
lambs. In either case it is important
: to have the feeding completed before
the fall rains come heavily. Such
corn should be ready not later than
r the middle of August. Some seasons
the rains may give trouble, but this
would not occur very often in the
+ northwestern states.
In very dry areas it may be wise to
q plant corn of the varieties above men,
: toned on land that would otherwise
be bare fallow. Such corn may or
q may not produce ears, but under very
: dry conditions it will produce a fair
y growth of stalk if given proper cul-
ovation, even though it should not
produce ears it will produce fair
amount of stalk, and therefore fair
# amount of food. This may be used
to provide pasture when it could not
be so we'll obtained from any other
q source. Such grazing, in those dry
: areas would not injure the land for
the winter wheat that will usually
be sown under these conditions on
s such land. The whole operation will
= have helpful rather than HARM
full influence on such land.