The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-03-11
THE VALUE OF STRA W.

lH6 lHCTGdblllB bCdlCltI Vi AouuOA III
consequence of the prolonged and severe
ly COLI weather, the high price of hay in
our principal markets, caused by the
early drouth of last summer; and the
very probable supposition, from the ex,
traordinary depth to which the ground
is frozen, where not covered with snow,
together with the exceeding depth OF the
snow in the timber regions of the West,
ought to admonish farmers to use the
greatest care in feeding fodder of every
kind, that it may not be wasted. A late
Spring, land indications point that way }
would make hay one of the scarcest com
modities in the west; for it must be re-
membered that the stocks of old hay at
curing time were very low. Among the
rougher forage saved by farmers every
where, straw, although usually consider
ed of not much account, is in reality OF
great importance to the farmer-offar too
great value to be got rid of by burning,
as is the case in many new localities
In all new localities there is generally
superabundance ofstraw. Those farm
ers who have stock pretty generally
understand its value as a covering for
sheds and for heavily littering the yards
and bedding places of farm animals.
Good clean straw, carefully stacked, Is
supposed to represent value In com
parison with the best meadow hay, OF
three to one. That is, an animul must
eat three pounds Of straw to get the same
subsistence as would be afforded by one
pound of hay. Now, since it is required
that cattle must consume all the hay they
can eat to bring them through the winter
in the same condition they were in at its
commencement, it is evident that if win
tered largely on straw, they must subsist
largely upon the fat and flesh previously
stored up; but if fed with corn or other
concentrated food, the case becomes
widely different, since it acts as a divis-
ion to the other food, and at the same
time furnishes whatever nutriment it may
possess to the animal.
Thus one ton of straw fed and the
equivalent of two tons Of straw in grain,
would be equal to one ton Of hay. SO
when hay and corn are about one price,
it is far cheaper to feed straw and corn,
than hay alone. Our own practice used
to be to feed horses and mules what clean
bright straw they would eat, giving hay
once or twice week for change, and
an equivalent in grain sufficient to make
the difference between the hay and straw
or sufficient to keep the animals In good
heart,
Cattle were wintered on straw and
cOrn-stalks: those which were not doing
as well as was desired, receiving some
corn in addition. Besides this, they had
an abundance to lie on, being fed liberal
ly with straw for this purpose.
For this reason we seldom had our
oats threshed with a machine, preierring
to tramp them out on the barn floor with
horses, for the cattle eat straw fresh every
day from the horses feet, with better
relish than in any other manner. In this
way farmers in the West ecOnomize their
hay, and sell the surplus for money, if
near railroad stations, than they can get
for their corn.
Whatever may be said of chatting or
steaming fodder of any kind, it will not
pay in the West unless it be near large
cities or other good markets, where the
increased provender so treated will pay
for the additional labor Give your cat
tie and horses good bright straw, and a
little corn each day, and thereis no dan
ger but they will come through the win
ter in good condition, provided they be
allowed plenty of water, what salt they
require, and are kept sheltered from the
weather.
1t is fair resumption that TIE annual
yield of straw in the United States will
reach 50000,000 tons. Of this quantity
from 100000 to 100000 tons are sup
posed to be used annually in the me-
Chanic arts,-for packing goods and ma.
chinery, and various other economical
other than feeding and con-
version into manure, after being used as
litter for animals.
Vast quantities are still yearly burned
in the newer districts, where the valne
of the land used to make manure of it by
spreading over surface where it may
rot, would be merely nominal. AS the
older settled districts have become con-
vinced of the value of straw for feeding
and manure, so also will those in the
newer districts some day find, and to
their cost, the necessity for its use.
1t is cheaper to keep animals in con-
stantly good condition than to allow them
to become lean, and then again fatten
them so land that is kept in good heart
from the start. always returns a greater
profit to the owner during a series of
years, than if allowed to become exhaust
ed through want of system in farming, or
the waste of manure; for among the eco
nomic values of straw, not the least is its
value as manure Western Rural.