286 Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 
cows that were falling off in flesh—not full-fed—a fact I was re¬ 
luctantly obliged to concede; he also stated that he could tell 
whether the cows were furnished with good or bad water. 1 refer 
to these matters to show butter-makers that the dealers in that ar¬ 
ticle are sharp, and if we wish to get good prices we must attend to 
our business. Unexpected drouths shorten the grass. To meet this 
short feed we should raise a liberal amount of corn exclusively for 
fodder. I raised upon the following plan four acres of corn last 
year and it gave excellent satisfaction. I marked out, on fall-plow¬ 
ing, with a shovel-plow, three feet apart, dropped the seed in the 
furrows rather thick by hand, and covered it with a cultivator by 
going crosswise; harrowed it well just as it was coming up, and 
then again about a week afterwards. I went through it once in the 
row when about six inches high with the single shovel-plow. I 
have tried broad-cast sowing, but do not like it as well; it is apt to 
break down and rot; it is better in drills, so that it can be worked. 
This crop will be found excellent for soiling when pasturage be¬ 
comes short by drouth or otherwise, and that which is not used for 
that purpose can be cut with a self-raking reaper, or otherwise, and 
will be good any time; don’t cut too soon; let the little ears begin 
to harden. Pumpkins for September and October are excellent 
feed; then for November, December, and January too many carrots 
cannot well be stored, and sugar-beets and mangolds, which keep 
better for the later dry-food season. Roots are good as an appe¬ 
tizer and aid to digestion as well as having intrinsic value in them- 
thelves, and are very desirable for cows about to come in. 
I often read that corn is too heating for milch-cows, but [ am 
not afraid to warm up mine by that method, always feeding it upon 
a full stomach; then but little will pass off undigested, and that 
little the pigs and fowls utilize. Bran is good feed, and I use it 
more liberally with cows inclined to fat, but when so used, the cow 
must be otherwise well fed or you cannot avoid drawing your 
cow into the milk-pail. Raise all the corn you can, and if possible 
cut it up. If all the corn raised in our State was cut up, I think 
there would be less loss from chintz-bugs, Shocked-corn is an en¬ 
ticing retreat of this pest for winter quarters, and feeding it out 
after husking or otherwise, insures their destruction. Shocked 
corn is good for out-door feeding, but its bulkiness and our 
deep snows make this kind of feeding of doubtful policy 7 . Our 
