The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-02-08
BARLEY AS STOCK FOOD.
Its Value In This Respect Not Fully Ap-
preclated by Most Farmers.

Its Value In This Respect Not Fully APP
preciated by Most Farmers.
Owing to the depressed condition Of
the grain market many farmers in the
Northwest find themselves with large
stock of barley on hand, for which they
are offered but small prize per busheL
We know of farmers living not more
than 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 a 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
1T had better be fed to farm stock than
drawn to market for the prices buyers
will now give. If a fair proportion Of
it could be disposed of in this way the
remainder would probably bring as
many dollars, in the aggregate, as the
whole crop will under the present man.
ner Of disposal.
Curiously there is quite prejudice
with many farmers against feeding bar
ley. When we hunt this prejudice
down and try to locate it we find it
practically without foundation in fact.
A little reasoning would enable us to
arrive at correct conclusions. In 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 a coun-
try so largely settled by Europeans as
ours should permit such wrong ideas to
prevail so tenaciously as does this pref
udice against barley. Not only is bar
ley the common grain crop of Northern
Europe, but in California it is extern
sively 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 will be
cut early, when the grain is in the milk
stage, for the purpose of making hay;
the remainder will ripen and be
of this grain will come East for brewery
use, but large portion will be held for
horse feed.
In California the barley is not ground,
but crushed or 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 enc 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 intelligently and iu-
diciously. If the buyers find out that
the farmers intend to feed this grain if
they can not get a certain price for it
they will likely become less independ-
ent, and prices will rise to a living, pay
ing basis.
We have spoken of barley for feeding
horses; if good enough for horses it can
certainly be used for fattening cattle,
for mich cows, sheep or for swine. The
experience of the experiment stations
show that, pound for pound, barley has
not quite SO high fattening power as
Indian corn, but the difference is not
very great. One hundred pounds of
Barley contains more muscle-making
food than one hundred pounds of oats,
and for growing stock it should prove a
most valuable grain feed.