1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



335 



For the New England Farmer. 

 OORN-PODDER, AND CORN-STALK 

 CUTTER. 



The advantages of cutting up corn- fodder and 

 mixing meal with it, for the feeding of cattle, par- 

 ticularly during a winter when hay is scarce and 

 of a high price, were lately illustrated at the 

 farm of Levi A. Dowley, Esq., in Brattleboro'. 

 Mr. Dowley having a numerous stock to winter, 

 and hay being worth fifteen dollars per ton, and 

 not plenty at that price, he was induced to try 

 the experiment of cutting corn-stalks and mixing 

 meal with them, as a substitute for hay in the 

 feeding of a portion of his cattle. Eleven cows, 

 six steers coming four, six coming three, and ten 

 coming two, years of age, — in all, thirty-three 

 animals — were accordingly separated from the 

 fatting cattle, and fed from about the first of De- 

 cember to the first of March last, with thirty- 

 three bushels, each morning, of finely-chopped 

 stalks muistened_ with water and then three pecks 

 of meal mixed through the mass, with a like 

 quantity each evening, and with uncut oat straw 

 each noon. The meal was. a mixture of Indian 

 corn and of oil meal, in the proportion of three 

 quarts of the latter to twenty one of the former. 



The stalks fed during the three months as above 

 mentioned, were a part of the crop grown on 

 eighteen acres of land planted with corn last sea- 

 son, and yielding an unusually great product, 

 both of grain and stalks. The entire crop was 

 cut up at the surface of the ground, before the 

 autumnal frosts appeared, and while the stalks 

 were yet green and succulent, was well cured in 

 the field, and then, after husking, the fodder was 

 placed in shed lofts and over the barn floors, so 

 that it came out in the winter fresh and sweet. 



Some less than two-thirds of the quantity of 

 fodder produced on the eighteen acres, was con- 

 sumed by these cattle, during the period of three 

 months ending on the first of March ; and it was 

 calculated that if the whole product of the same 

 grown thereon, had been cut and fed as during 

 the three months, it would have kept this lot of 

 stock till the first of June : but on the first of 

 March, it was quite apparent that the hay on 

 hand would be sufficient for the feeding of the en- 

 tire farm stock till grass-time ; and accordingly 

 the thirty-three animals received their portion of 

 the hay night and morning with the other stock, 

 and the l)alance of the corn forage was thrown 

 about the yards during the day, the best of it 

 eaten, and the coarser parts trampled under foot 

 for litter and manure. 



The wages and board of one man formed the 

 extra expense incurred by reason of passing the 

 stalks through the chaff-cutter, moistening 

 them with water, adding the meal and feeding 

 the prepared mas^s to the animals. The person 

 employed fur this purpose was paid twelve dollars 

 per month, and his board may be called eight dol- 

 lars per month — making an extra monthly expense 

 of twenty dollars. The amount and value of the 

 corn and oil meal fed each of the three months may 

 be called — 39 bushels of corn meal at 83 cents per 

 bushel, — $32.37 ; and 6 bushels of oil meal at 78 

 cents per bushel, — S4,68 ; making a total cost of 

 meal per month of $37,05. 



Prices of labor, board, and of forage and proven- 

 der varying more or less with different localities, 



no nice calculation of the exact cost or saving of 

 this mode of feeding will here be made ; but from 

 tlie details that are given, each reader may draw 

 his own conclusions of the expediency or other- 

 wise of the same. Suffice it to say, that the ex- 

 periment resulted satisfactorily to the projector of 

 it, the animals were healthy during its continu- 

 ance, and in good flesh at its conclusion. 



The corn fodder was reduced to a complete state 

 of chaff, or was cut in pieces one-quarter to one- 

 half inch long, by a stalk-cutter invented and man- 

 ufactured by Reuben Daniels, at Woodstock, Vt. 

 It is a good machine, perhaps the best chaff-cutter 

 yet made for reducing corn stalks to a fit state for 

 being fed with meal ; and it may be guaged to cut 

 hay, straw, &c., to any length, from four inches to 

 one-fourth of an inch. However, it has not, per- 

 Iiaps, all that capacity to take in, and to cut com 

 stalks as rapidly as one could desire. 



We farmers are very much in want of a power- 

 ful, effective chaff-cutter, which shall take in a gen- 

 erous mouthful of corn stalks, cutting them very 

 fine, and having that capacity of fly wheel and of 

 geerings which shall cause the machine to work 

 with facility and expedition by the application of 

 the turning-power of one man. There are vari- 

 ous machines, denominated hay cutters, in the 

 market, which are well adapted to the purpose 

 their name indicates ; but they are wholly inade- 

 quate to the proper and profitable cutting of corn 

 fodder — the very quality of forage which most 

 needs improvement by being reduced to a fine and 

 soft state, and by the addition of meal. If our 

 agricultural machine-makers could but invent the 

 right cutter for this business, they would confer an 

 important benefit upon the farmers, as well as find 

 already sale for such invention. Quite an addition- 

 al breadth of corn and other coarse forage would 

 be grown for winter feeding, if money could only 

 purchase a suitable machine for quickly and cheap- 

 ly reducing such forage to a proper state for eco- 

 nomical feeding. F. Holbrook. 



Brattleboro'' , JuneS, 1853. 



TOWN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



-"To ileck the shapely knoll 



That softly swell'd, and gaily dressM appears 

 A flow'ry island from the dark green lawn 

 Emerging, must be deemed a labor due 

 To no mean hand, and asks the touch of taste." 



Mr. Editor : — Conversing with a friend in Mass- 

 achusetts, a few days ago, 1 was much interested 

 with his plan for the formation of town horticul- 

 tural societies. Through his agency, such a soci- 

 ety exists in Andover, Mass., which has been 

 found both useful and pleasant to its members. 

 Before the existence of this society, little interest 

 was felt in ornamental flowers and shrubs or in 

 scientific gardening. Through the agency of a sin- 

 gle individual. Dr. Eastman Sanborn, of that vil- 

 lage, a warm interest has been awakened in hor- 

 ticulture. Dr. Sanborn is enthusiastic in the cul- 

 ture of fruits and flowers; and like every other ear- 

 nest and true patriot, he imparts both of his zeal 

 and his choice flowers to others. When his neigh- 

 bors see the beauty and inhale the fragrance of 

 the beautiful products of his industry and skill, 

 they admire his plan of creating c^imfort and hap- 

 piness at home, and "go and do likewise." It is 

 not enough to see and smell a beautiful flower while 

 it lasts, one likes to have it with him ; and when 



