MAIZE AS A FODDER PLANT.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1545, 30 May 1882, Page 4

MAIZE AS A FODDER PLANT.

TitJfi ' .'itxcKigah Fnmcf, , says :— \* Toi have it grown for feeding to farm stocki H>f' all kinds in '■ a green s^ate, >aud' especially for milch cows, ;t; t should bei 'sown 'thinly,' so as to allow the cars to ( devclope freely. When it has reached' the point where tho ears are fit for boil- 1 ing for family use, it is in condition to cut ami bogin feeding. In the case of, dairy cows and cattle, tho corn need not, be cut up, but for calves or horses it is necessary to run it through a cutting machine. To get all the benefit possible from the fodder com, two or three varieties should be planted so as to secure a succession. The later sorts should be cut just before frost comes, and carefully stocked so as to shed rain. None of it should be allowed to gee too ripe before cutting, as it gets fibrous and woody, and 'is neither so nutritous nor so acceptable ib the stock. There are various ways of curing and preserving corn fodder. A correspondent of an Eastern exchange, giviug his method, says he cut it and put it in stocks df about the size hill corn is made into. It was left to cure for two weeks, and then drawn in. It was &o dry that he could wring the juice from .the dryest part of it. Between every second load he put from four to five hundred pounds of oat straw. That which •was the least cured he put in the centie of the mow, and when the mow ish'lled a good load of straw was put on top. It all came out green and moist, and was greatly relished by the stock ; they seemed to prefer it to good hay. The ilow of milk from his cows was larger than when lie was feeding good hay. The mow was built with matched siding on three sides. The coin was cut befoie feeding. " Another process is thatreeonnnended by Prof. Miles, formerly of the .State Agricultural College, but now supciintendent of the Houghton Farm, Orange County, New York. His system ib thus described :— The coin fodder, propel ly cured, ib eutup by hoi ,se-power, one and a- half to two inches long. This is spread to the depth of six inches, moie or less, upon some convenient space, within three Avails. Over thib layer one of finelypulped mangels is spread — a i oot-pnlper being used. The layer of pulped roots should have a deptli of two or tlnee inches, then comes another layerol corniodder, then more roots, and so on until a mass four or five feet high is made. This should contain food enough to last the cows three days ; this is left until a good heat comes on, when it is fed out warm, and another heap is made. '1 he addition of bran or meal would cause the fermentation to be btill more active. It is better to have it covered, so js to exclude all the airpossible. The corn stalks by this process are thoroughly softened, and the Iced was greatly liked by the cattle, even when wheat and oat straw was largely used. This process is .said to have proved verysuecs&sful."