SEPT 10 
590 
THE RUBAI. WEW-YORKER. 
to waste to furnish ample bedding. This was 
late in the winter when fodder gets very harsh 
and stock do not care to eat much of it when 
they can get anything in the shape of hay. 
1 have never confined my milch cows toa diet 
of corn fodder, always giving them the best 
hay mornings and nights, and cut fodder to 
pick over during the day. If our large-stalked 
fodder is out aud meal is mixed with it, a good 
deal of the meal goes to waste on the rejected 
butts. Topping amt blading, as practiced 
here by some, make a very nice fodder for 
any kind of stock, but the labor is too costly. 
I once cut a considerable quantity of fodder 
early in the season, which had got wet in the 
shock and, being piled up and tramped down, 
got “het, up, ” and I thought it was spoiled; 
but on feeding it to the cattle I found 
they ate it up clean and seemed to like it 
much better than the next cutting which was 
dry. 
Now this was a hint that the silo was the 
proper place to put. the corn fodder: but. at 
that time the silo was being boomed by Dr. 
Bailey and others of the same caliber, and I 
was so sick of reading their absurd claims 
that, although I had a root cellar under my 
baru aud right under my power cutter, 1 did 
not have the least desire to try ensilage. But 
to-day I have been hard at work deepening 
that same cellar in order to convert it into a 
silo; and my conversion came about in this 
way: After Dr. B. A Go. had run their course 
and sensible men began to take hold of the 
silo, it was found that sweet silage was a pos¬ 
sibility, i7i fact, was easier to make than sour 
silage. Easier in many ways, but chiefly in 
the less labor required in growing, cutting, 
hauling and covering; also in t he cheaper man¬ 
ner of building the silo. 1 have often noticed in 
cutting fodder early in the season, when some 
of the heavier stalks are still green at the bot¬ 
tom, that the pile of cut fodder, would (ill the 
whole barn with a delicious odor and the cattle 
would take it in great mouthfuls, not trying 
to pick out the finer parts. But after a day or 
two this pleasant fragrance would disappear, 
and the fodder, which had generated con¬ 
siderable heat, would cool olT, cake together 
and give otr a somewhat musty odor. 
Now, if we can cut up our fodder while still 
green—very green—put it in the silo and have 
it come out in winter with the delicious odor 
of the partially dried fodder spoken of above, 
and have the whole plant In just the right, 
state for easy mast ication and digestion, what 
more do wo want? Why, we want a good- 
sized ear on each stalk aud that ear cut up 
with the stalk and put in the silo. Then, 
with the addition of some wheat bran we have 
a well-balanced ration, ami your question 
may lie answered by saying that the best way 
of handling corn fodder, to get the most out 
of it, is not to have any. 
But we want some dry corn for feeding, 
and if the com is allowed to cure on the stalk 
we will still have some folder. That fodder 
I shall try to feed out early in the season be¬ 
fore using the silage, and if any is left after I 
begin feeding the silage it will do for the dry 
part, of the ration that I think stock require 
during the winter. If there is too much for 
tin's I shall use the balance for bedding. 
Baltimore Co., Md. 
FROM H. A. WHITTKMOUK. 
When corn has passed the glazed stage, it 
will then do to secure from frosts. The best 
way I have ever seen to handle corn is to cut 
it up at the root and put it into stooks —about 
20 hills to the stook—leaving it to stand until 
dry cno.igh to husk. When husked, it is 
bound into bundles of about, two to a stook— 
or 10 hills to a bundle. These are put into 
stooks of from six to to bundles, being firmly 
tied at the top and left to cure. When thor¬ 
oughly cine t they are drawn to the barn and 
placed in a standing position on the buy, 
straw or sea (folds. If there is not sufficient 
barn room they are stacked around a pole 12 
to l<i feet high, set in the ground, the tops to 
the center and always kept the highest, so the 
rain storms of lull and winter will not beat 
into the slack. This is securely capped, so the 
stalks when fell come out as bright and sweet 
as when put into the stack. When winter 
has fairly set in ami foddering has become 
steady, I always feed only twice a day, and 
one bundle of stalks to a creature is always 
allowed for one feed, with a little grain or a 
few roots. I never feed hay and stalks to¬ 
gether, or on the same day. When using up 
my stalks my cattle are confined to them un¬ 
til all are gone, aud my milch cows always 
produce more and better milk than when fed 
uiioii the best quality of clover hay, and the 
butter made from the milk is of nearly as fine 
a flavor and color as fcieptember-mp.de butter, 
and in every way superior to that made from 
the milk produced when cows arc fed upon 
the finest J imothy hay. 
One acre of corn-1 odder, if nicely secured, 
will produce more feed than the average acre 
of hay cut upon any farm I know of, aud the 
butter produced from cows fed on it will 
bring two cents to three cents per pound more 
than hay butter. When catlle are fed exclu¬ 
sively upon corn-fodder with a little grain or 
roots, they consume all hut a few of the large 
woody butts. I know of some farmers who 
chop all their corn-stalks ami steam with 
meal, and with very flattering results as 
to milk and flesh. Well-cured, bright corn- 
fodderisan excellent feed for a horse whose 
wind is effected, lu some few cases I have 
known it. to make the bowels bo loose that.it 
had to be dispensed with. The farmer who is 
negligent of his corn-fodder is, in my opinion, 
leaving one leak in his feeding-trough, that 
needs closing up. 
Chautauqua Co., N. Y. 
FROM M. CAULK INS. 
Corn stalks get so brittle that we can’t use 
them for tying bundles. I have adopted the 
following plan with perfect satisfaction. Take 
a quarter-inch rope, cut it iuto pieces eight 
feet long, tie a loop at one end and wind the 
Other with small twine and dip iu.o melted 
bees-wax. Lay these bauds straight out on 
the ground beside the shock, and lay on 
enough fodder for a bundle. But the end of 
the rope through the loop, draw up tight and 
tie a single how-kuot. The bundles are then 
loaded on the wagons and hauled to barns or 
stack; they arc placed where they are wanted, 
the ropes are untied and returned to the field. 
As many bands can be made as desired. If 
two teams are hauling, enough bauds are need¬ 
ed for two loads. One hand stays in the field 
ami binds, while another stays at the barn or 
stack to unload. The ropes can bo used for 
other fodder, such as hay, etc. 
Having a largo tobacco barn not in use, I 
nailed the tobacco sticks on the tier poles 
about eight inches apart., I put a wooden 
pulley, two feet in diameter, in the ceuter of 
the baru at the top. A large rope with an 
iron hook attached to one end, runs up through 
the pulley and back again to the ground. The 
hook is put under the band of a bundle; one 
hand on the ground draws up as high as want¬ 
ed, while another places it on the sticks. 1 
am putting in coni fodder only partially 
cured, and let it finish curing in the barn, 
thereby saving it from getting damaged by 
rains. The tier poles are three feet apart, one 
above another; the fodder is placed on them 
about one foot deep, so that, ample ventilation 
is given. 
1 a n experimenting with sorghum as a fod¬ 
der crop. 1 sowed a rich lot near the barn 
broadcast, and have been cutting it up for the 
past six weeks to Iced the cows while milking. 
They cat if. with a relish, even preferring it to 
mill-feed. 1 commence cutting it when it. is 
about three feet high and continue until it, is 
thoroughly ripe. The first cutting is now send¬ 
ing up a second growth. When sown thickly, 
so tis not. to produce a stalk larger than a 
man’s finger, cows will < ut it stalk and nil. I 
also drilled in some for feeding hogs, ami com¬ 
menced cutting it when the seed was in the 
dough, ami shall continue until it is fully ripe. 
I shall cut and shock what is left and feed it 
from the shock. The hogs are very fond of 
it. mid are growing finely. Ken them it should 
be sown th n enough to produce large stalks. 
I think It is a very valuable crop tor astoek 
dairy farmer to raise. When sown in drills 
and cultivated, it will stand a very severe 
drought and st ill make a good crop. I think 
it is a very valuable crop for the South, for 
feed or sirup. With improved machinery 
aud the refining process, I succeed in making 
u line sirup, free from the acid taste so objec¬ 
tionable to many people. It sells readily at 
50 to 00 cents a gallon, many people preferring 
it to store molasses, knowing that it is pure 
umt clean. The seed and fodder are worth 
the raising. 
Prince Edward, Va. 
FROM JAMES PERKINS. 
My experience is confined mostly to fodder 
corn—that grown for feeding purposes alone, 
and not for grain and stalks. I consider sweet 
corn worth about one-tldrd more than our 
common field sorts for this purpose. If want¬ 
ed for winter feeding, it should be sown in 
this latitude about July 10. The fodder 
should be cut when in the silk and put iuto 
small stooks to cure. When dry enough, it 
should be stored away under a shed or iu some 
other easily accessible place. When feeding 
it. out, I cut it as fine as a fodder cutter will 
make it, and throw enough hot water over it 
to render it about, ns moist as when in the 
green state, When fed to milch cows, I add 
two parts of wheat, bran to one part, of corn 
meal, and also give to each cow three good- 
sized carrots and parsnips. This gives as 
highly-colored and well-flavored butter ils 
yon can make from the best June pastures. 
This feed is suitable for all kinds of stock. 
Horses do well ou it. I once cured a horse 
that was badly affected with the heaves by 
feeding him ou this corn-fodder. 
Ulster Co,, N. J. 
FROM PROF. W. C. I, ATT A. 
Cut the fodder early, when the ear is well 
“glazed,” setting up first the center of the 
shock and in a few days completing it. Feed 
the fodder to cattle and horses, preferably out 
tine mid moistened and mixed with meals. (1 
prefer ensilage to the above, but we have no 
silo). As oariy as possible we husk the com, 
t ie the fodder in bundles and shock in larger 
shocks. Draw in ns needed. 
Purdue, University, La Fayette, lud. 
FROM E. DAVENPORT. 
We feed corn-fodder ouce a day liberally to 
catt.le, in the baru, or when warm and pleas¬ 
ant. in the yard. We always feed out our 
corn-fodder in the early part of winter. We 
prefer to feed in a small yard where the 
tramping of the cattle will effectually break 
up the stalks so that they rot easily. 
Barry Co., Mich. 
FROM G. W. FRY. 
We husk the corn when the fodder is damp, 
and stook or stack it till feeding time. Wo 
haul it to a dry place, feed all the stock will 
eat clean. By feeding in one place the stocks 
will soon make a good bottom to feed on, and 
iu this way the mass will have depth enough 
to rot in less than a year. 
Grundy Co.. Mo. 
Ptunj ljusbammj, 
STARTING A CREAMERY. 
JOHN GOULD. 
Three ways of starting one: the co-operative 
plan; management thereof; cream (lather¬ 
ing; use of creamery “ waste;” a rented 
creamery; an independent creamery. 
To organize a creamery—on whatever plan 
—there must be co-operative effort on the part, 
of the patrons, aud the more perfect the co¬ 
operation, the greater will be the success, so 
far as it relates to manufacture. Creameries 
may be arranged in three classes, so far as 
their organization is concerned—the purely 
co-operative, the creamery built, by patrons, 
and leased to a creamery man in some of tin- 
many ways of disposal of right, and the fac¬ 
tory built by a creamery man, who builds it 
as an investment, and buys the cream of the 
patrons, paying either a fixed contract price, 
or following the market, price of butter some¬ 
what in regulating the price of cream. 
lu every instance where the creamery is 
within a few hundred miles—100, 200 or even 
300, as the case may be—of large cities like 
Baltimore, Philadelphia or New York, the 
creamery run strictly upon the co-operative 
plan is best, because by any other plan t he 
price paid for cream is always made to include 
the operating expenses, etc., of the concern, 
and the patrons may as well pin their faith se¬ 
curely to each other, aud put their trust in 
good butter, and realize all the proceeds of the 
cream, and share the profits that would ot her¬ 
wise go to the buyer. 
Where there are from 250 to 500 cows with¬ 
in a distance of ten miles each way iu a good 
locality, a creamery can be run Successfully. 
The best way is for some influential man, in 
whom the community has confidence, to go 
about and see who will and who will not pat¬ 
ronize a creamery, aud slay hy H one year. 
A meeting is then called, the matter is talked 
over, and a site decided upon. Building 
shares are then issued to the amount of the 
supposed cost of the plant. A good cream¬ 
ery can be put up aud stocked with all need 
ed machinery for from $‘.MM) to $1,500, pro¬ 
vided the patrons buy their own cans; which 
will cost from 80 cts. to $1.00 per cow, each 
lot of ten cows needing a can. The stock is 
usually put out in $10 shares bearing six per 
cent, interest. 
The building committee are selected and 
get. a plan of the budding from, say, Burrell 
& Whitman, Little Falls, N. Y., or Cornish, 
Curtis & Greene, Fort Atkinson, Wis., or 
any other well known manufacturing firm of 
dairy supplies The machinery is selected from 
a list of supplies, and the plant made ready. 
Officers must be selected to run the affair, 
but need only consist of an auditing com¬ 
mittee and a salesman; the latter will act 
as treasurer of the concern. 
It is always best to avoid the perainbulatnry 
speculators who seek to get up $11UHJ0 
creamery companies, build fine structures, 
stock them with costly macliln -ry. rate their 
skill, knowledge, etc., as half the capital stock 
as against the (armors’ $5,000 to $7,000 cash, 
and iu turn buy t,he cream aud make an as¬ 
signment in August. The farmers should co¬ 
operate only among themselves, do the best 
they know how, and they will succeed quite 
as well as they would in a company of 
strangers. 
It, is best for the patrons to decide upon a 
uniform system of milk setting, by buying 
cans all of one make, and conform as nearly 
as possible to the rules; for by this plan only 
can a high grade of butter bo made. If cans 
are purchased of any of the leading makes, 
like those of the Fairlamb, Cooley, Lincoln, 
etc., and other makers, the agents will accom¬ 
pany them and instruct, the patrons iu their 
use without making any charge. Good butter 
makers can now be secured from almost any 
of the dairy districts of the Northern States 
and at wages ranging from $50 to $100 per 
month, 
The cream gat borers will need to number one 
to about each 200 “inch s” of cream collected. 
The cream is taken ofl‘ by the gatherers, and 
the number of “inches” of cream—each inch 
supposed to represent a pound of butter—ol>- 
taiued of each patron is credited to him. As 
the bulk of cream is not a safe rule to go by 
as to the amount of butler if will churn out, 
samples of the cream are taken each day and 
submitted to the oil lest, mid its butter yield 
determined, and the exact per cent, of butter 
te each iueh of cream is placed to the credit of 
the patron. This is more just to all, and the 
patron who has a dairy an inch of whose cream 
makes 20 ounces of butter gets pay foi the 20 
ounces, while those who supply tliiu cream 
do not. profit by it, but are credited with its 
exact butter yield. Each week or oftcuer the 
salesman sends the butter to the best market 
he can find, consigning it to a No, I commis¬ 
sion house, who will sell it on its merits. 
When the returns are made the cost of milk¬ 
ing the butter is deducted from the amount 
received, aud the balance is divided pro rata 
among the patrons. Every three months 1 !j 
per cent, Interest on the capital stock is also 
deducted and paid to the stockholders. Per¬ 
sons not owning stock are also allowed to send 
cream, but instead of sharing pro rata in the 
expense, they pay three, four or five cents per 
pound for making their butter, which is usu¬ 
ally u trifle more per pound for making than 
the patrons pay ; but they, in turn, do not pay 
interest on the capital stock. 
It is always best to send to one commission 
house ns long as possible, and establish a re¬ 
putation for the butter. It, goes in regular 
quantities; its merits attract the attention of 
buyers, and if the patrons will “ hold 
together" and not get suspicious over every 
little thing they fail to understand at first 
sight, and believe that their salesman is doing 
Ins best., and that money for butter is a more 
profitable return for ittlmu exchanging it for 
codfish, pound for pound, at the cross-roads 
store, and finally make butter in the winter 
when it is 35 cents per pound, instead of in the 
summer when it is l‘J 1 J, there is no reason 
why, iu a sec tion where there are plenty of 
cows, a good co-operative creamery will not 
succeed; and it will, in any event, take the 
burdc-n of butter making from the daily du¬ 
ties of a hundred wives, and lets one man 
“make it for a whole neighborhood.” Fur¬ 
nish him with good cream, and then demand 
good creamery butter as his part of the con¬ 
tract. 
There is another element of profit, that is 
secured by this plan, which is not secured by 
the others. The buttermilk and washings of 
the creamery can be utilized for feeding pigs. 
At some distance away from the creamery a 
hog yard is established, and enough hogs are 
purchased to eat the slop. Grain is purchased 
or furnished by the patrons, and the hogs are 
fed; and once iu about 40 to 00 days they are 
sold and new ones put in. and the profltsof their 
growth are divided up pro rata. Where the 
buttermilk is thinned out sufficiently with 
the wushings and otherwise, aud a proper 
amount of grain is fed with it, it is valuable 
as food for hogs, but fed clear it is not a suc¬ 
cess as a ration iu the creamery pig-sty. 
Often the patrons of a neighborhood will 
build and equip a creamery, and then rent it 
