86 AGRICUI.TURE OF MAINE). 



it was larger and stronger and more vigorous than the day 

 before. It grew in that way until about the 26th of July, and 

 it almost entirely covered the ground. Then we had a storm 

 the like of which I hope I shall never see again. From four 

 to five inches of water fell in twelve hours, with a terrific wind, 

 and we had a hail storm in our immediate vicinity that destroyed 

 everything; squashes, pumpkins, beans and peas were utterly 

 destroyed. And our corn we thought had been destroyed. 

 Before the storm it stood up as high as a man's head, and after 

 it there was not a stalk that stood six inches from the ground. 

 The leaves were all stripped to pieces and it did not look as 

 though it could possibly amount to anything. Our neighbors 

 were discouraged and let their corn go. But that field of corn 

 was our main dependence, and we could not afford to lose it 

 if it could possibly be saved. Within two or three days we had 

 another rain of an inch, which saturated the ground. Just as 

 soon as the wind was in the direction to right up the corn, we 

 went through it with a cultivator. The first time we went 

 through it, we broke it all up. But we went through it again 

 and pulverized the land some more, and we kept going through 

 it until within ten days of gathering time, and we got a fair crop 

 of corn, while our neighbors did not get enough to pay for 

 gathering. That was the result of a good soil and constant 

 cultivation. When the soil is in proper condition it will stand 

 both drought and excessive moisture a great deal better than 

 when the humus is all out of it. 



I have experimented a little with different crops in feeding 

 stock. Sweet corn, planted for the factory, will produce from 

 10 to 12 tons of fodder to the acre for silage, besides the corn 

 which is taken out for the factory. If a large growing variety 

 of corn is planted, it will produce from 12 to 20 tons. From 

 six to seven tons of ensilage will carry a cow through the winter. 

 It is not profitable to feed that alone, but that is what it will 

 take. I have experimented by weighing out the ensilage for a 

 number of cows for a ceftain length of time, and they will do 

 first rate on from 60 to 70 pounds per day, with nothing else 

 but the grain. Sixteen pounds of oat and pea hay per day will 

 feed a cow. The next year after you have taken off the crop 

 of corn you can raise 2 to 2^ tons of dry fodder in oats and peas. 



