Year: 1859

Corn Stalk Fodder.


The waste of coruStalk fodder is one of
the most noticeable features of our agri-
culture. Go where you;wiIl, this immense
waste is apparent, except upon few very
few farms. Corn stalks cut up at the
ground and properly cured, are sweet nu-
tricious food, worth fully as much as Sec
oDd rate hay-say two-thirds as much as
the best meadow hay, and if cut up and
soaked or steamed it will 90 quite as far.
A certain proportion of corn stalk fodder
fed daily increases the value of hay
that is, the same weight of hay and stalks
fed daily, will 60 much farther than If the
hay were fed first and then the stalks; in
fact we are inclined to believe that two
tons of hay will not 60 as far as two tons
consisting OF one-half or two thirds hay
and the rest stalks.


The Impression seems general that the
husks are all that is valuable below where
the tops are cut off, and that the cattle
will browse off all that is of much nutri-
tive value if they have the range Of the
corfeld after harvest. This is a great err
ror. 1t should be remembered that tho
the stalk is hard and pithy after it has
stood since the ripening of the corn, yet
before that it was much more tender and
vastly more nutritious. The two ways of
treating corn, topping and cutting up at
the ground, have been long practiced in
this country, and the public are still divi-
ded in opinion about it, and perhaps the
M majority Of the best farmers rather incline
to the latter process, and SO we conclude
that SO far as concerns the yield of grain
there is no reason Why the corn should
not be cut up rather than topped. Cattle
eat the tops easier than the butts of
course, because they have no upper incis-
or teeth, and the butts are tough, but We
have no reason to doubt that the amount
of nutriment contained in the stalk below
the ear is less than above, on the contra
ry as it is much jucier and more sugary,
less liable to mould or heat, the presump-
is. if cut in proper season, it will contain
more actual food. This is q subject for
Prof. johnson to investigate.


Now as to the use of corn fodder. Ifit
is thrown out to stock to nose over and
pick out all the tender parts, perhaps one
third of it will be eaten, possibly more if
they eat it out of rack or maDger. If
it is cut up and softeOed by steam OF wa
ter, very little meal OF. bran busted on,
when but one or two cows are to be fed,
the family swill used instead Of pure wa
ter to moisten it With, the whole will be
eaten with a relish.


We have not the least doubt this ma
teriaI which now covers the barn-yards
of the State. or is scattered promiscuous-
ly all about the barns, is Of value enough
to pay for all the labor required to bring
it into shape to be all eaten by the stock.


A writer in the Genesee Farmer says


"Tbe best time to feed out corn stalks
is in the coolest weather" That is to
say we presume, that cattle will eat what
they do not relish, best when they are
hungriest, and in cold weather all animals
have the best appetite, and are least par
ticular about their food. This writer
recommends to cut up the stalks, and you
feed them out, simply to sprinkle meal on
them; the wetting aud soaking is an i'm
portant thing omitted. He proceeds to
say :--"Ano;her way is to steam the
stalks and meal together; and then the
cattle will eat all the stalks up; whereas
if you feed them out without cutting. the
stock will only eat just the leaves of,and
leave the stalk, which is the very best
part" The good common sense which
peryades the article, makes the opinion of
the writer that the stalk as the rery best
part, worthy of especial consideration
We agree with him entirely so far as we
can Judge. As to the manure made by
the mixture of weathered stalks, and the
dropping of cattle in an open, miry, leacby
baruyard, which every farmer of the old
fogy stamp whom We speak to about this
waste, claims to be SO valuable that lie
realizes more By the stalks thus than if
they were fed, We do not think much of
such manure, any way, and still less IT
the stalks are, as is most generally the
case, long and tougb.-HOmeSead.