170 ESSAY ON INDIAN CORN. 



COWS. It is also stated, " that some farmers are of the opinion that 

 the fodder procured from the corn field, will nearly pay for the labor 

 of growing and gathering the crop." Now if corn fodder is worth 

 but little when green, we had better not spend much time in trying 

 to dry it for winter use. So far as my observation goes, having 

 given some attention to the subject, I am fully of the opinion that 

 green corn fodder is one of the best crops that Ave can raise, for the 

 producing of milk, though it is well known that it will not produce 

 so great a flow of milk as green grass. 



Every one, who has been accustomed to milking cows, knows that 

 about the time of cutting English hay, the cows begin to dry up, 

 and that when the feed is good in July, they will gain in flesh, but 

 will not give so much milk as in June. This shows that green grass 

 will make more milk than it will after it has ripened. By the first 

 of August, the feed in most of our pastures begins to fail ; the fall 

 feed is not sufiiciently grown to afford a supply ; we are then without 

 a fall supply of green grass, and the c[uestion is, what shall we have 

 for a substitute ? My answer is, green corn stalks. Those who use 

 their milk for making butter will find that when their cows are well 

 fed with corn stalks, they will not be troubled with white, soft butter, 

 in dog days, which is often said to be owing to the weather, when in 

 fact it was because the cows have not proper food. Another advan- 

 tage arising from feeding cows with corn stalks at this time is, that 

 they are not so likely to become breachy. Hunger, at this season, 

 impels them to seek for food beyond the fence, and they form habits 

 which are a constant annoyance the year round. 



There is one general rule by which we can tell Avhether a particu 

 lar kind of food has a tendency to produce a great flow of milk or 

 not ; that is, by noticing the effect which it has upon the solid excre- 

 ment of the cow. Green grass produces a great flow of milk and 

 causes the excrement to be soft. Potatoes make the excrement soft- 

 er than carrots, and produce more milk. Wheat, bran, or shorts 

 make it softer than Indian meal and produce more milk. Green 

 corn stalks make it harder than grass, but softer than English hay. 

 My inference then is, that they are better for making milk than hay, 

 but not so good as grass. 



But to return to the question, which is the best way of using the 

 top stalks ? They are of more value cut and fed green to our stock, 

 than used in any other way. I know that in September our cows 



