Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-03-06
BARLEY As STOCK FOOD.
Its Value In This Respect Not FULLY APP
preciated by Most Farmers.

Its Value In This Respect Not Fully APP
preciated by Most Farmers.
Owing 70 the depressed condition OF
the grain market many farmers in the
Northwest find themselves with a large
stock Of barley on hand, for which they
are offered but a small price per bushel.
We know Of farmers living not more
than a hundred miles from Chicago and
Milwaukee, says the Breeders Gazette.
who have been offered but twenty or
twenty-five cents per bushel. and some
are selling for these prices. while others
are holding not knowing what turn
to make next. In past years many farm
ers have found barley-growing quite
profitable. but as rule they have al
ways sold their whole crop and have
never practiced feeding it in any form
whatever. Now that the markets are
against them. with other food fairly
abundant. many OF these parties are
timid about venturing to feed out the
grain To their own stock. In many cases
il had better be fed TO farm stock than
drawn 70 market for the prices buyers
Will now give. If fair proportion Of
/ il could be disposed OF in this way the
remainder would probably bring as
many dollars, in the aggregate. as the
whole crop. Twill under the present man
ner Of disposal.
Curiously there is quite pre- judice
with many farmers against feeding bar
/ ley. When we hunt this prejudice
down and try to locate ii We find it
4 practically without foundation in fact.
A little reasoning would enable us to
arrive at correct conclusions. In a large
+ part of Europe Indian corn can not be
grown successfully; and in much of that
area barley is the general grain crop for
/ farm animals. 1t is strange that coun-
4 try SO largely settled by Europeans as
ours should permit such wrong ideas to
/ prevail SO tenaciously as does this pref
udiee against barley. Not only is bar
+ Icy the common grain crop OF Northern
I Europe. but in California il IS eXteu-
siyely grown for hay and the grain
forms the almost universal horse feed
OF The Golden State. At this very
writing the farmers Of California are
busy sowing their grain fields to wheat
and barley Part Of the barley viii be
emf early. when The grain IS in the milk
stage, Tor the purpose 81 making hay.
the remainder Viii ripeu and be
thrashed as iii the Eastern States. Part
of this grain vii come Iiast for brewery
use, bur large portion mllI be held for
horse feed
In California the barley IS net ground,
but crushed 81 rolled Those who are
familiar with California horses and
their ability to withstand long drives
and hard work realize that this grain
must be excellent horse feed In such
favor does the Californian hold barley
hay that when some of the famous
horses Of that state are sent East for
racing purposes hay is shipped with
them, the owners fearing that the East
ern-groWn article will not prove salts
factory in the time of trial With the
experience Of Europe on the one hand
and that OF California on the other it IS
about time our farmers laid aside their
prejudice against this grain and set
about handling it intelligentIy ana iu-
diciouslv Il the buyers find out that
the farmers intend to feed this grain II
they can not,gef a certain price for it
they VIII likely become less indepcnd-
ent. and Prices viii rise toa living. pay
ing basis
We have spoken Of barley for feeding
horses; ( good enough for horses il can
certainly be used for fattening cattle.
for milch COWS sheep or for swine The
experience ~ the experiment stations
show that. pound for pound barley has
unt#1 uito IN EiVlt . fa+farfprg ,o,,-f, a..