Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-03-13
The Value Of Straw.

oil robblng the soil of mineral mat.
ter in excess, and the conflicting
claims can scarcely be reconciled
Straw really takes from the soil valu
BILE fertilizing material, and also re.
turns it to the soil when composted
or fed to stock, allowance Of course
being made for that which is used In
the increased growth OF the animal.
In every 100 pounds Of straw there
are from four TO five pounds of ash. =.
the ash containing potash, soda, mag.
ncsia, lime, phosphoric, acid, sulphur.
ic acid silica, chlorine and sulphur
No nitrogen is found, as IL is driven
of when reducing the straw to ash.
but when the straw dccomposes in
the compost heap the traces OF nitro.
gen, with n proportion OF carbon, are
absorbed and partially retained. OF
wheat straw the proportion Of potash
Is 40 per cent, while bean straw con.
tains of potash as large Il quantity as
2.59 per cent. but while the bean
straw is thus richer in potash than
that Of wheat, the latter contains
seven times as much silica, which,
though not really considered valua.
bic as fertilizer, as il always exists
plentifully, is in q condition 10 be
more readily appropriated by plants
when returned to The soil in the straw.
Barley contains larger proportion
Of potash than oats, but oats REQUIRE
a greater quantity OF soda, and vet
these two minerals are very closely
allied. Cornfoddcr contains l.GG per
cent Of potash, while peas contain
lG1. This indicates that cornfoddcr
rcqni.es more potash than peas and
less than beans, which contains more
than double the proportion in peas.
This Is contrary 20 the general sun.
position tha, bean. and peas feed
alike on the same matter, as they are
shown, IN noticing The proportions OF
lime required hy each. to he rather
dissimiIAr. Bean straw. which excel.
IN potash, Is considered a lime crop
also; hnt while the crop OF bean
straw per 100 pounds contains l.35
per cent. OF lime, the percentage Of
lime In pea straw is l.SG. thus demon
strating that the one prefers pot.
ash and the other lime. This differ.
ence between peas and beans exists
in the seeds also, as the beans con.
tain more potash than peas, though
the lime exists in each in nearly the
same quantity.
Oats are supposed 10 be evhausting
to the soil, bat while the straw is
really richer in potash than that Of
wheat, the grain OF wheat exceeds
the grain oil osts largely in nearly all
the mineral elements, while the grain
Of buckwhest is deficient in nearly
everything that composes the ash as
compared with wheat.
As straw thus possesse. value ac.
coFding TO the amount OF mineral
matter 1t extracts from the soil, il is
plain that whenever 1t is sold or re-
moved from the farm 1t carries away
certain proportion Of the elements
derived during the process Of growth,
and farm can be impoverished as
easily by the removal Of products
that are considered valucless as by
the removal of those that find ready
sale in market. 1t may correctly be
claimed that there is nothing produo.
ell but which may be put to some
purpose. Straw should be utilized
for feeding, as it is considered excl
lent when fcd in connection with
grain and when used for bedding Il
should be cut fine, in order TO admit
of rapid decomposition. The whole
stalks, being composed largely OF sill.
lea, do not become Gt for plant food
until after a great length Of time, but
when cut into pieces the moisture and
heata quickly and soon disintegrate
1t. All kinds OF straw are therefore
valuable, and II several kinds are |
mixed together in the same compost |
heap a better fertilizing material will |
be obtained than from any one kind |
separately.