The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1880-12-09
INDIAN CORN AS FUEL.

During recent years, western farmers
have sometimes found ii expedient Il
burn corn in their stoves, as well as feet
it to their cattle and this fact has nat
urally raised an inquiry, in what cases
and to what extent it may be possible
to utilize tins cereal as fuel. In re
gard to the market price of corn, it va
ries, of course from year to year accord
ing to the supply and demand. II !.
not very long since corn was sold, Al
some points in the west, for much lest
than the present price. The crop of the
present year will doubtless, be large, il
spite of local exceptions /; but what III.
market price will be is not yet known
The simple fact that in various sect
ions of the country, and repeatedly
It has been employed as n fuel is pro
sumptive evidence that there is under
certain conditions profit in using it
What these conditions are, it is moi
very difficult to determine. 1t is first
of all question oflocali,y. In section,
contiguous to coal mines or timber
belts, farmers arc not very likely tc
burn their corn. But ii is easy to SEE
that in regions remote from these
sources of fuel, and especially where
corn can he produced at cost exccp
tionally low, there may be not onl,
economy, but clear profit in convert
ing II to fuel. In fact it may be assum
ed that wherever Indian corn can BIZ
raised at cost as low as eight or nine
cents per bushcl it will pay as fuel, un.
less fire-wood or coal is SO near at hand
ss to be delivered without cost of haul
ing.
But there is another factor that ha,
thrown additional light on this problem
1t is found that the stalks Of corn wher
bound into compact bundles of suitabl,
and often with decided economy.
II is said that in some parts of thu
West, even hay is SO abundant and SO
cheap rs to be utilized in firing up en-
gines and that in England straw i.
used for the same purpose and that botl
these materials have proved TO be econ
Omical and profitable as compared with
coal or wood. II was found on care
fnl examination of this question som,
years ago, that when coal cost 81 tor
or over, corn, at eight or ten cents Z
bushcl, was tho cheaper fuel Of III,
two.
According to the experiments of |,
Nebraska farmer, in q trial Of corr
against wood, 1t appears that by goins
twenty mile he could buy green cotton
wood at - cord paying for it with
cora ct fifteen cents per bushel. At thai
rate counting the expense oftwo day.
hauling. one cord of wood costs hun
dred bushels ofcorn, which will burr
eight times as long and make better
Ore than wood. An Illinois farmer has
reported to the Chicago Tribune. tina,
the "cobs of corn are worth for fuel.
ton for ton, as much as the common
Illinois coal, the summer price of which
by the carload is So, per ton" Now
e il be fact as MANY affirm. that cora
can he raised in some parts Of the West
ct cost of So or $50 per ton, il is
hardly matter of surprise if farmers
occasionally find il expedient 10 use a
part Of the crop to warm their houses
3r cook the family dinner.
But there is class of people who can
ece nothing but waste and extravaganza
IN the shocking" practice of burning
corn. II has been affirmed, by . statis-
tical writer, that ''the use Of corn for
fuel always indicates ovcr-production
and loss !" and. with more sentiment
than logic, he is afflicted 10 find that
ssthe precious staff of life is thrust into
The stoves Of our western farmers for
fuel" Such weak nonsense as this may
do very well for Mrs. Grundy but, for
q writer addressing an intelligent pub
lic, common sense would be more APP
Il is well that farmers have
The sense to perceive that the fuel which
costs the least is just the kind to used !;
md that when corn is employed to keep
The family from freezing, il is just as
truly ''the precious staff Of life" as when
L keeps them from starving. One thing,
u least, is certain. The man who puts
pofn into his stove at clear profit Of
q . ton, which is sometimes possible.
Bwiscr than his neighbor who ships il
, . foreign market at q possible lost,
ghical occasionally happens. BUsimes
pSsSser aud Experiment Record.