The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-09-29
WHEAT AS STOCK FOOD.
The Deer Creek Farmers Club Recon-
mends II.


mends II.
The September meeting of the Deer Creek
Farmers Club was held last Saturday, at the
farm of Mr.. James W. Hanna near Fountain
Green d. C. Wharton Smith, President was
in the chair, with L. Z. Swartz, Secretary.
Other active and honorary members and guests
present besides the host were Messrs. r. Har-
ris Archer, VIM. B. Hopkins, James +. Kenly,
VIM. d. Lee, Thomas Lochary, Robert F.
Hanna John Moores, John b. Wysong, Edward
P. Moores, S. A. Williams, E. b. Whistler, S. b.
Hanna, Augustus A. Smith, VIM. E. Dean.
Harry W. Whistler, +. w. Baker.
The club first inspected Mr.. Hanna's premises
and stock and upon reaSsembllng MesSrs. Ed
ward ?. Moores, VIM. d. Lee and VIM. Is Hop
kins, the committee specially appointed for the
purpose, related what they had seen. They
commended the extreme neatness of MIR.
Hanna's grounds, buildings and surroundings,
and the farmer-like way in which everything
had been done. lie has in his garden large
bed of SharpesS strawberries, which the COM
mittee pronounced the nnest they had ever
admired as was also an Almont Chief colt, 4
months old, which is very large for its age and
promises to make a valuable horse. field of
tomatoes, seven acres, was shown, from which
1000 bushels have already been picked, and
the ground is yet covered with green and half
ripe tomatoes. MIR. Hanna has Il small flock of
sheep which are among the best of their kind
In his stable is an ingenious arrangement for
feeding cattle. Behind each cattle rack is u
wide board, hinged at the lower end, which be-
ing lowered, hay or fodder is placed upon it.
By means of pulley, cord and weight on the
SIDE the feed is kept constantly pressed against
the upright rack. When the animal has con,
sumed all the feed the weight presses the board
against the rack, preventing the animal from
getting its head through.
The subject previously selected for discus
sion was the economy, at present prices, OF iced
ing wheat to stock.
MIR. james w. Hanna said the wheat crop
had been considered the farmers money crop,
until within the past year or two. Now that
wheat, corn and oats are each about the same
relative price, one cent pound, he thought
it would be economical TO feed wheat, in
part ut least, to stock, say IN the proportion
of one-thrd wheat, one-third corn and one
third oats. He had never tried it, but he had
heard it said that wheat will fatten hogs more
quickly than anything else.
X. Harris Archer said if farmers would all
come to the same conclusion and use some OF
their wheat for feeding stock the surplus
might be consumed and they would sell the
remainder for perhaps % cents more buShel
Until the past year wheat for 40 years has not
been sold at less than 20 cents bushel. In re-
ply to Il suggestion that this plan would reduce
the price o. corn Mr.. Archer said we could af-
ford to take little less for our corn provided
our wheat brought great deal more. He
doubted the ACCESSIBILITY OF feeding wheat
alone.
VIM. b. Hopkins said he had experimental
with feeding wheat to horses and cows. Mixed,
v,
excellent and economical feed. He had fed
mixture consisting of one-half ground wheat
and the other half ground oats to cows, and
they did well on 1t: In 1eedng 70 horses f t ne
E. b. Whistler's experience in feeding wheat
was this. He had some wheat which had be-
come wet in the rick and the grains were
swollen. This he fed to an cmaciated bog re-
covering from cholera. The result was sur
prising. The hog was so weak that it could
not stand up. After eating OF this wheat it was
int hraa 1ap IN i'm
was nearly fat
S. b. Hanna had never fed wheat to stock
but would mix it with corn and grind it.
Wheat at present prices is as cheap as corn at
60 cents u buShel.
T. L. Swartz said he had lately been expert
menting. He first took equal quantities of old
corn, old oats and new wheat, unground, feed
ing il to horses. They did well on it, He next
tried unground wheat alone, but regarded
that as II mistake, as much of the whole grain
is undigested. Next he had fed wheat with
mill feed and cut oats IN the straw, and con-
sidered this feed better than the others. He
used one quart of wheat to half gallon of
mill feed with sufficient oats i'll the straw to
make the requisite bulk.
James +. Kenly said wheat should not be fed
alone. He would mix corn, oats and wheat
have them ground and add wheat bran to make
more bulk the latter aids digestion. He would
not, however, feed wheat unless compelled
either to do that or buy other feed. He be-
lieves wheat will advance in price. At present
prices it might be well to feed some wheat.
John Moores said he had been feeding I'M
ground wheat to horses and ground with corn
to cows with excellent results. 1t is Il cheaper
feed than bran, and ground wheat has plenty
of bran i'll it. As compared with corn and oats
it is about the same price per pound. Wheat
is better than corn for stock, in warm weather.
We have regarded wheat us our money crop
but dairymen would find it as cheap feed as
they can get. Wheat is II fine feed for hogs
and as cheap as corn. Corn has u ready sale in
this county The quantity of saleable wheat
has already been much reduced in Hartford by
feeding it to stock.
S. A Williams remarked that as wheat is low
it would be u good time for members of the
club to experiment with it and report the re-
suits next spring.
Robert +. Hunna said he believed it would
be economical to mix some wheat with other
grain for feed. He also had an idea that it
would be cheaper to grind wheat and feed it
than to buy bran at the same price per pound.
Ground wheat would do stock more good than
the same weight of ground corn, and the prices
per pound are about the same. He recon-
mended course of experiments covering three
or four months.
Edward p Moores considered wheat as good
and a cheaper feed, at one cent u pound, than
corn or oats. He advised grinding it and feed
ing it on cut hay, oats or straw. tits not good
to feed it dry to horses. Horsemen had told
him that one quart of wheat and one quart of
oats make a good feed.
VIM, ID. Lee has fed a little wheat and oats,
mixed to horses, with good results. He prefers
it ground with other grains. In this sec
ton, however, he does not believe farmers can
afford to feed.a great deal of wheat. 1t is our
money crop and will not remain as low as it
now is.
Harry W. Whistler said he intended to feed
wheat to his horses. He will first take 20 lbs
of flour out of each bushel of wheat and mix
the remainder with chop. He would not feed
whole grain.
Thomas Lochary remarked that it would not
paw to raise wheat for feed, but under present
conditions it would be well to mix it with other
feed Stock does much better with Il variety
of food. A neighbor some years ago told him
he had fed wheat to cattle and was pleased
with it, If he fed wheat he would mix it with
corn and grind it.
John b. Wysong said that at present prices
it might be judiciOus to feed wheat mixed with
other grain, especially to milk COWS. IL prices
were higher it would not pay to feed it,
James w. Hanna said the value of wheat as
food would depend upon whether or not there
is more nutriment in pound of wheat than in
a pound of other grains. This could be deter
mined by experiment.
S. NJ Lee said that theoretically wheat con-
tains great deal of nutriment. He had fed
mixture of one-third wheat and twO-thirds
oats and was pleased with it, but his expert
ments were not continued long enough to be
decisive.
Augustus A. Smith said that A or 5 years ago
his wheat was injured by the aphis or green
fly, and he used or 10 bushels as feed for
stock They did well on it. One of his neigh
bors is using one part of wheat to two parts of
corn, having them cracked and adding 20 per
cent of bran. He is canning apd~works his
team hard but has never had it in Uetter condi-
ton. The horses coats have improved and
they are able to do more work. Another
neghbor feeds wheat to hogs and when he has
no wheat he feeds high grade flour. He always
has excellent hogs:
r. ~ 10. 80 ow.ns4 ~.