Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-30
Value of Straw to the Farmer.

How TO get rid of the straw seems to
be matter of more Importance to a
large majority of farmers than how TO
preserve 1t or make it of value to them
10 dispose of 1t in the easiest manner
possible, multitudes of farmers set fire
10 their straw and burn it up immediate
~ aIter the grain is separated from it.
Ii Is common to think that straw is totally
worthless so far as stock food is con
cerned, and of but little value for any
other purpose. Before Dronouncing it
worthless, II they would give it a fair
test we are OF opinion that quite a diff
terent idea would be had.
instead OF burning it all in pile Just
as IL was hauled from the thresher. if it.
was scattered over the field where it
grew, or some other piece of ground, and
lleh burned and the ashes Immediately
proved under, 1t would do good: but
burning 1t all IN heap is a total loss.
and thing no farmer can afford to do.
In country so extensive as ours.
where stOck-raising is carried on to so
great an extent, it is q thing of the great
est Importance to know how to raise if
with as little expense as possible, as the
less 1t costs the farmer to raise his stock
up to the period that it is of proper age
to be sent to market, the greater will be
his profits and the more successful will
be his occupation.
For cattle and sheep, straw of any
kind, if it is bright and in good order. is
splendid food for them when properly
prepared, and horses will also eat it and
look quite as well as they do when fed
on hay. But in addition to hay, or cut
straw mixed with bran or meal, horses
that are used steadily for work should be
Ted plenty of shelled oats or corn, as
they cannot stand hard usage without
such grain. We do not pretend
to say, either, that straw alone should
be fed to cattle or sheep, as there is too
much bulk and not enough of strength
In it to insure the greatest satisfaction;
but along with it should be fed small
quantity OF wheat bran and middlings
mixed, or corn Matchmaking what is
Familiarity known as "chop." Without
so preparing it, it is doubtful about them
eating enough of it, if nothing else is fed
in connection, to keep in as good condi-
ton as is desirable.
Ii farmer has plenty of room in his
barn, he should store his crop of straw
therein as soon as he threshes his grain
and then with good straw-cutter, run,
by horse power, the work of manufac-
turing it into number one feed is easily
accomplished, and this can be done in
stormy weather or when it is too I'M
pleasant to work out of doors. Straw
prepared and fed in comfortable stables
will be found fully as valuable for stock
as hay of good quality, and will take cat
tie, sheep and colts through long, cold
winter without necessarily using any
other kind of food, and bring them out
in the spring in good condition. By
making good crop of straw of value as
food for stock, and feeding the hay, fod-
der, etc, of the farms as is usual, double
the amount of stock can be kept through
the winter that is kept when it is not
used, and at a very little increase of cost.
Straw is of good value to a farmer even
if it is not wanted for stock-food, when
used as manure and for bedding down
animals. The most difficult thing CON
nected with housing farm animals to
feed them through the winter season is
to keep the stable floors in a nice, clean
condition, and as this is positively
necessary, there is nothing so good as a
litter for the stables as tinely-CGt straw.
1t is a splendid absorbent and makes
bedding for stock to lie down on quite
superior in our estimation to any other
material in use, while its value as
an addition to the manure is much
superior to saWdust, tanbark, and such
articles. 1t should be cut quite short for
this purpose, and large quantity can be
prepared at time and be piled up in
the barn, where it will be convenient for
use as it is needed Enough should be
thrown in the stalls every morning to
keep them dry, and at the end of every
week they should be thoroughly cleaned
out, throwing their Accommodations into the
manure cellar, or, if there is no manure
cellar, it should be thrown in a heap
under cover, and occasionally have a
quantity of water thrown over 1t to
hasten decomposition. If piled up out
in the weather it is liable to receive too
much water and the strength soak out
and wash away Unless the straw IS cut
short, it is not advisable to use it as an
absorbent or stable litter, as it cannot be
conveniently removed from the stalls on
account of it clinging together and form
inc solid sheet of manure. When the
straw is finely cut, it is easily removed
from the stables and is always easily
handled afterward Taken altogether,
straw is highly valuable to the farmer,
and instead of letting it rot all IN a pile,
as is often the case, or burning 1t and
making it total loss, it would be much
better to use it as stock-foOd by preparing
it as above described, or to employ it as
a material for littering stables, and for
such other purposes as may be deemed
profitable Ohio FtTn1er.