1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



313 



cultural and mechanical interests of the State, 

 and when this leading object is kept steadily in 

 view, and when the exhibiiion is varied, — compris- 

 ing in its different departments, fine stock, the 

 products of the farm, orchard, dairy and loom, 

 and the manufactures of the different trades, — the 

 people will attend by thousands. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 CORN FODDER FOR SOILING. 



Of all the crops grown expressly for soiling. 

 corn fodder stands pre-eminently at the head 

 of the list; and considering its simple and 

 easy culture, the almost certainty of a large 

 yield with fair treatment, the avidity with 

 ■which it is eaten by all kinds of stock, and its 

 great value as forage, its importance can 

 hardly be over estimated. 



Simple and easy as its cultivation may be 

 regarded, there is a wide difference in the re- 

 sults attainable. If color is an indication of 

 the vigor of growth, what means the pale 

 green, sickly yellow or whitish appearance of 

 many fields of fodder? In a field of. corn 

 such signs of weakness would not be consid- 

 ered very promising for maturing a good yield 

 of ears. But allowing the growth to be vig- 

 orous, there are other differences not so ap- 

 parent to the eye. The stalk and leaves of 

 corn, like those of other kinds of grain, and 

 the grasses are merely to support and perfect 

 the ear. During the early stages of growth, 

 its cellular tissue is imperfectly developed, 

 and the juices are thin and watery. As the 

 stalks approach full development, the juices 

 thicken and become richer in saccharine matter, 

 the goodness of the stalk is absprbed rapidly 

 by tlie ears, which if undisturbed would take 

 up from the stalk nearly all that is available 

 for nutrition. The stalk, then, has its greatest 

 value for fodder while the ear is forming. In 

 this respect corn resembles sugar cane. The 

 sugar maker would never expect to produce a 

 syrup that would yield a large percentage of 

 sugar unless the cane had attained its full 

 growth. 



Now, if we select the Southern and West- 

 ern varieties, and plant thickly, and cut the 

 stalks when only partially grown, a large 

 quantity of tender, succulent fodder is ob- 

 tained, but there is too much bulk in propor- 

 tion to its goodness ; too much thin, watery 

 juice for the nutritive matter it contains. 

 When cattle receive any addition to their pas- 

 turage, it should be in a form that combines 

 a suitable proportion of 'nutriment ; if a weak, 

 bulky fodder is given them, their stomachs are 

 . unduly distended, and the labor of the diges- 

 tive organs is greatly increased. Excessive 

 distension of the stomach weakens its force, 

 and food received in this condition is only 

 partially digested, and is worse than wasted or 

 lost. Some farmers are well aware of these 

 facts, and in order to deprive corn fodder of 

 part of its bulk, cut it up some tinje before 

 using. I know of a very conscientious milk- 



man who finding this kind of fodder increased 

 the quantity of milk at the expense of the 

 quality, discontinued raising it. 



Now it is plain if we plant a smaller variety 

 of corn, and give each stalk room and time 

 to attain a full development before it is cut, 

 we obtain a more concentrated and nutritious 

 fodder, and what is lost in bulk is gained in 

 quality. Sweet corn is far preferable to the 

 common yellow. One stalk of it fully grown 

 is worth three or four of th^ large Southern 

 varieties but half matured. Being richer in 

 saccharine juices, it produces superior milk, 

 promotes the growth of the animals, and at 

 the same time keeps them in excellent condi- 

 tion. Horses eat it greedily, and when at 

 moderate work will thrive upon it. By plant- 

 ing the early varieties early in the season, fol- 

 lowing with later kinds, an abundance of this ' 

 most valuable help to the pasture can be fur- 

 nished four months of the year. When hard 

 frosts approach, it should be cut up, bundled 

 and put into good sized stocks or carried di- 

 rectly to the tarn and stored where it will not 

 dry too rapidly and yet not heat and mould. 

 In this way it may be kept tender and palata- 

 ble several weeks longer than usual. When 

 the stalks become too dry and hard, they 

 should be passed through the cutter, then 

 moistened with water and allowed to remain 

 two or three days ; or, what is better, if the 

 weather is cold, put them into a tight box and 

 steam by throwing hot water on them, then 

 covering tightly. Where a liberal supply of 

 this is provided during autumn and early win- 

 ter it will prove a material saving of hay ; and 

 pumpkins, turnips, small potatoes and other 

 roots, which are usually fed out early, can be 

 reserved for later use. When this fodder is 

 desired for winter feeding mainly, it should 

 be planted early that it may be" cured during 

 the dry, pleasant weather of September. 



Although a fair yield may be obtained in a 

 favorable season by careless and imperfect cul- 

 tivation, yet high culture is absolutely essen- 

 tial to the best success, as the fodder is needed 

 most just when grass, from drought or other 

 causes fails, and only high cultivation can 

 carry a crop through in an unpropitious sea- 

 son. Good land, some of the best of the 

 farm, should be selected for it, which should 

 be ploughed and reploughed until thoroughly 

 pulverized. It should be highly manured, 

 partly broadcast and partly in the drills. It 

 should be divided into equal lots. for a succes- 

 sion of plantings. And if those lots designed 

 to be planted first were ploughed and manured 

 the previous autumn, it would hasten and im- 

 prove the growth of the crop. Make the 

 drills from two-and-a-half to three feet apart, 

 and drop the kernels about one inch apart. 

 The smaller varieties do not require to be 

 planted as thickly as the larger and coarser, in 

 order to make their stalks tender. As nearly 

 all the cultivation can be done by horse power, 

 the expense of the crop aside from manure is 



