Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-04-24
VaIue Of Straw as Food and Manure.


A correspondent writes that he has al
ways supposed that straw should be
used IS bedding for animals. or to be
trOdden down in the yard by the stock
for manure. and that this was the best
use TO make of it. He thought feeding
il deprived the soil OF It's value. as man
ure, aad besides, its value rs food was
hardly worth considering. But in Ger
tain articles advising its use SIS stock
food he saw a different estimate put on
IL. and he wishes to know the best use
of straw. considered as food. or food
and manure.
This i an important inquiry. and is
not well understood by most feeders
The Enzlish method was very generally
to use il rs bedding. and to litter the
cattle Yards. We remember the report
of some remarks of the late celebrated
Mech. at Sn English agricultural meet
ing. some twenty-five years ago. when
he strongly advised feeding all the
straw. as he had found it Of half the
value Of hay. and he thought the
manure made from il quite rs valuable
as the straw used rs bedding. Some II
the other English farmers present could
not rerreSs an incredulOus sneer n this
proposal. saving they would rs soon
feed brush, and that the straw was a
great item in keeping up the heart 0f
the soil But we have no doubt tha:
Mechi was quite correct, although he
was not able 20 give the scientific
reasons for his practice.
Since then the digestibility of straw
has been tested carefully. and its COM
Parztive feeding value ascertained-
Wolf. the German experimenter. after
many trials and analyses. represents il
as from One-hasf 10 two-thinds the value
of acreage meadow hay in caitle-feed-
ing. He Represents average meadow
hay as having n feeding value of 81
cents per 100 lbs. and on the same
basis he fixes winter-wheat straw AZ 81
cents; winter-barley straw at S3 cents;
summer barley nj - cents; Oat straw
AZ 10 cents; average summer grain
straw AT 81 cents per 100 lbs. This
would make the average of straw worth
81 per cent. that OF meadow hav. Sc
much for its feeding value.
Now. LET Us see what are the principal
eleusents N straw which give il Tarue rs
n feeding stuff Take. for instance.
winter wheat straw: Of the digesti5le
elements 35.6 per cent are carbo
hydrates composed of carbon and
water). only s.I0 Of one per cent. OF
zlbuminoids that are digestihle. snd
40 of fat. All the rest is indigeStible-
and passes in the solid droppingS The
only element dicested valuable for man /
ure is $40 vf O1e per cent of albumeR
Oids. This would amount TO sixteen
pounds in ton, OF one pound of nit |
rogen. worth twenty cents The carbO-
hydrates and fat have no value as man !
ure. because composed wholly Of carbon |
and water. and plants can obtain al /
the carbs n needed f7Om the atmosphere !
But carton has an Important value as
fOOd-it keeps up animal heat. and
assists in laying on fat This gives
straw its value as food without ma |
terially leSsening its value a. manure |
II 5 true that straw has one quality. |
when applied to the whole state. moi
mentioned, and that is, its mechanical T.
effect n YOU plow straw into a heavy |
soil, it makes it lighter. or more /
porous. This is. perhaps. the
most valuable Oslice performed by 4
straw iE the soil. The real frrtilizing 1
clements of sifaw are, substantially, ap- 4
piled in the manure of cattle that have
eaten IL. and Il Is doubtful if an
farmer can afford to plow
in straw unless he has more than he
can feed. as il is worth, in large dis
tricts Of this country. from four 10
seven dollars per ton to feed. and this
would purchase much more value OF
manure to apply to the
soil The manure from n ton of straw
fed to caftle would be worth about
s.. 20. at the rate that commercial ma
nures are sold.
So Mechi was quite right when he
urged the economy of feeding straw
A ton of the best straw is worth. al
least, ten dollars in food and manure,
but. if merely applied as manure, could
IN no case be worth half the sum-
OF comse, straw is not complete
iOOd. and must always be fed with the
best clover hay. or with some very
food. such as oil cake or
meal. wheat bran. oats, peas. etc But
feeders should study how best 20 utilize
every product of the farm Il Is BY
saving in all the little matters. SO
called. that farming can be made profit
able. II farmers would look carefully
about them. they would be quite sur
Drised TO fad 50 many things thrown
iway that they N ght turn 10 profit.
National Lire Ssock Journal.