Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1907 — AT SILO TIME. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AT SILO TIME.

Corn Should Not Bo Too Green—Cutting and Putting It Up. Many people make the mistake Pt cutting com too green for silage. At this stage there Is a larger percentage of water, and the silage when taken out has a' large amount of acid, less starch snd sugar and hence is less nutritious. Corn planted In drills, with stalks eight to ten Inches apart will mature a good proportion of ears. Harvesting should not begin until the ears are passing the roasting stage and begin to glaze. Unless the season if exceptionally dry the stalks snd leaves will remain green, but too mature or dry corn is more liable to mold. This may be found, in spots around the sides or more generally over the silo wherever the air has gained access to cause the fungous growth. This condition may be improved by tramping the material carefully in the silo, adding water by sprinkling with a hose, or if this Is not available direct a stream of water into the blower or elevator sufficient to saturate the cut fodder. This moisture assists the material to settle and acts as a seal to keep out the air. There should be labor and teams enough to keep the cutter running steadily. Nothing is gained by cutting a large amount of corn beforehand, bailing and piling near the machine to be handled over again. Adm to harvest at the least expense a ton. This will be accomplished as follows: If hand cutting Is practiced, cut and hand directly to the man loading, not throwing on the ground In bundles, which will require an extra handling. Lot each load come to the table of the machine tn turn, handing the-corn directly to the feeder. If the corn is long and heavy an extra man is needed on the table to assist Power should be ample and in proportion to the size of the cutter. The blower is replacing the elevator machine, economizing space and largely doing away with the stopping of an entire crew to repair the, elevator. If the corn is heavy and the stalk large cutting in half inch to one inch pieces

will have the tendency to partially shred the stalk, and there will be no butts refused by the animals. The material in the silo should be kept level and well trampled, especially around the sides of the silo, and it pays to have sufficient help for this work. Where considerable silage is put up It pays to have a corn harvester and binder, which economises hand labor. The foregoing timely advice is given by Dr. G. A. Billings in American Agriculturist, and the cut shows part of the outfit used at the New Jersey experiment station in filling the silo for fall and winter feed. The source of power for running the cutter and blower is a gasoline engine, which gives very great satisfaction.

The Popular Cantaloupe.

Scarcely any branch of horticultural work has Increased of late years like the growing of cantaloupes. All markets handle them and are glad* to extend their season by getting early and late supplies from all sections of the country. Many varieties of melons and cantaloupes were formerly seen in our markets, but present requirements have banished almost all but the Netted Gem, or, as it is popularly known today, the Rocky Ford. This cantaloupe, besides possessing the finest texture and highest flavor, is alzhost round and is thus easily packed. Recent seed selection in this strain has produced a very fine fruit, heavily netted, regular in form and weighing about a pound each.—W. N. Hutt

Utilizing Skim Milk.

There are many fruit farms on which the flock of fowls is becoming every year a large factor. The byproducts of these are utilized to som_ extent for the poultry, but not so much as the byproducts of the dairy farm. There is no better way of utilising skim milk than by feeding to poultry, suggests Kansu Farmef. When this skim milk Is allowed to sour and Is made into curd for the fowls it is still more extensively available. There is no byproduct that need go to waste when you have plenty of chickens around. They are the’ scavengers of the farm and make lots of waste material into’ good fresh eggs.

Varieties of Oata.

A» an average for two trials, 1905 and 1906, the varieties producing the highest yields at the Kansas experiment station were the Red Texas, 54-37 bushels; Silverine, 52.18 bushels; White Tartar, 51.97 bushels; Danish, 48.08 bushels; Kherson, 47.27 bushels; Sixty-day, 46.75 bushels; Minnesota No. 202, 46.57 bushels, and Swedish Select, 45.16 bushels per acre respectively. The season of 190$ was especially favorable for the production of oats. x.

FILLING THE SILO.