Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-04-25


A correspondent writes that he has al
ways supposed that straw should be
used as bedding for animals, or to be
trodden down in the yard by the stock
for manure, and that this was TIE best
use to make of it. He thought feeding
it deprived the soil of its value, rs man.
ure, and besides, its value as food was
hardly worth considering. But in GER
tain articles advising its use rs stock
food, he saw different est mate put on
it, and he wishes to know the best use
of straw, considered as food, or food
and manure.
This is an important inquiry, and is
not well understood by most feede s.
The English method was very generally
to use it as bedding, and to litter the
cattle yards. We remember the report
of some remarks of the late celebrated
Mechi, at an English agricultural ME t
ing, some twenty-five years ago, when
he strongly advised feeding all the
straw, rs he had found it of half the
value of hay, and he thought the
manure made from it gu tie as valuable
as the straw used as bedding. Some Of
the other English farmers present could
not repress an incredulous sheer at this
proposal, saying they would as soon
feed brush. and that the straw was q
great item in keeping up the heart o.
the soil. But we have no doubt that
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
parative feeding value ascertained.
Woif, the German eXperimenter, after
MANY trials and analyses. represents il
as from one-half to two-thirds the value
of acreage meadow hay in Battlefield
ing. He represents average meadow
hay as having feeding value of Ga
cents per 100 lbs, and on the same
basis he fixes winter-wheat straw at 81
cents; winterbarley straw at 33 cents
summer barley ut A cents: oat straw
at 40 cents; average summer grain
straw at 81 cents per 100 lbs. This
would make the average of straw WORTH
90 per cent. that of meadow hav. Sc
much for its feeding value.
Now, let us see what are the principa
elements in straw which give it value a.
a feeding stuff. Take, for instance
winter wheat straw: of the digestble
elements $40 per cent. are carlo
hydrates composed of carl on anC
water), only SO of one per cent. o.
albuminoids that are digestible, and
40 of fat. All the rest is indiyestible
and passes in the solid droppings. The
only element digested valuable for man
ure is $40 of one per cent. of albumen
oids. This would amount to sixteen
pounds in ton, or one pound of nit
rogen, worth twenty cents. The carbo-
hydrates and fat have no value as man.
IRE. because composed wholly of carbon
and water, and plants can obtain al
the carbon needed from the atmosphere
But carbon has an important value a.
food lit keeps up animal heat, anC
assists in laying on fat. This give:
straw its value as food without ma
terially lessening its value as manure
1t is true that straw has one quality
when applied to the whole state, no
mentioned, and that is, its mechanical
effect. II you pillow straw into heav,
soil, it makes it lighter, or more
porous. This is, perhaps, the
most valuable Office performed b,
straw in the soil. The real (, rtiliZins
elements of straw are, substantially, ap
piled in the manure OF cattle that hav,
eaten it, and it is doubtful il al
economical farmer can afford to pillow
in straw unless he has more than h,
can feed, as it is worth, in large dis
tricts of this country, from four t.
seven dollars per ton to feed, and thi
would purchase much more value o
commercial manure to apply to tn,
soil The manure from ton of straw
fed to Gait e would be worth abou
So. 40, at toe rate that commercial ma
nures are sold.
So Mechi was quite right when b,
urged the economy of feeding straw
A ton of the best straw is worth. a
least, ten dollars in food and manure
but, if merely applied as manure, coul,
IN no case be worth half the sum.
OF couise, straw is not complete
food. and must always be fed with the
best clover hay, or with some very
heterogeneous food, such as oil cake OF
meal, wheat bran. oats, peas, etc. But
feeders should study how best to utilize
every product of the farm. 1t is By
saving in all the little matters, sc
called. that farming can be made profit
able. If farmers would look carefully
about them. they would be quite sur.
prised to find SO many things thrown
away that they N ght turn to profit
National Ltpt stoos Journal.