White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1916-05-12
WHAT CORN SHOULD BE
GROWN FOR IN NORTHWEST

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 espe.
cialy 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 pas
ture. These are relatively important
in the order named
For the first use mentioned, the corn
should be possessed of considerable
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 use. Ordinarily he
should look for not less than 8 tons,
if such kinds as the Northwestern
Dent, Minnesota No. 10 and Mercer
Flint are grown. In some instances
as much as 10 to ~ tons will be pro-
duced. While it is necessary to have
considerable bulk when growing these
varieties, it is not absolutely neces
sary to have them mature. This OF
course Is desirable where such a re-
suit can be reached, but they will
make fairly good fodder and also good
ensilage though harvested short of ma
turity. But when such corn is put in
to 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
Dakota White Flint and the Gehu
These, If planted in season and given
proper care, should virtually mature
almost any year in almost any part of
the northwest. Though dwarfish In
growth they furnish usually from 20 to
average of say 25 to 80 bushels
Corn thus hogged off, will give $50
lbs. Of pork from an acre. This at 6
cents a pound live weight will give
return Of $500 for the acre. II, after
it is hogged off, the stalks are left,
they will hold the snow, which will
mean more moisture to the land The
crop of grain that follows will be
much better than that obtained from
grain stubble land similar in charac-
ter.
When grazed off y'sheep and lambs
the grazing should begin as soon as
the corn is ripe. 1t may begin before
it is hard. But care should be taken
to introduce the sheep to 1t gradually
lest they should eat to excess of food
too strong for 80 sudden change.
They will eat both the leaves and
stalks in addition to the corn. This
method of fattening both sheep and
swine will be found effective and rela-
lively cheap, because of the great say
ing of labor. Six or seven weeks of
such feeding should suffice to fatten
swine and eight to ten weeks to fat
ten 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 the middle of August.
Some seasons the rains may give trou
BILE, but this would not occur very Of
ten in the northwestern states.
In the very dry areas 1t may be wise
to plant corn of the varieties above
mentioned on land that would other
wise be bare fallow Such corn may
or may not produce ears, but under
very dry conditions 1t will produce
fair growth of stalk II given proper
cultivation, even though 1t should not
IF you Suffer from Backa,