The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-07-19

The extraordinary low price of wheat,
leaving no profit at all for the grower,
has turned the attention of farmers to
it's feeding value. There are few scien-
tific tests for reference, as wheat has not
been regarded primarily as stock food.
We know by analysis that it is more
heterogeneous than corn. being, therefore.
a better food for growing stock, provided
its percentage of digestibility is as high.
In coming to a decision about the matter
of selling or feeding wheat we must
depend chiefly upon the experience Of
the few who have fed wheat. The SEN
tinel probably can serve its readers no
better this week than by giving sort
of summary of these experiences, at the
same time urging its readers to add to
the stock of information at hand by
giving us any facts they may have
gotten in their own experience.
Mr.. G.. R. .Doolittle says in leading
journal: 1 know of several farmers
that have already fed wheat and are
still feeding, having become convinced
that all things considered, it is the
cheapest feed we have. The writer has
already fed about 300 bushels, and if all
other Ohio farmers had fed in the same
proportion, the problem of what shall
we do with our surplus?' would be
partially worked out. Perhaps 1t will
interest my brother farmers to learn
how and to what 1 fed the 300 bushels
of wheat, and what the results ere.
Having a lot of pigs and young hogs,
l tried feeding to them. first soaking
and feeding whole, and then grinding
and feeding in the form of porridge.
1 fed to one bunch of pigs. from five
weeks to six months and fifteen days
old; to another bunch five weeks to eight
months old They had no other grain till
the last month, when we varied their ra-
tions to about one-half corn. Weight of
first lot at Strengthening. 1S5 pounds.
dressed Weight of second lot at slaugh-
tering, 211 pounds, dressed. The last lot
were not so we'll cared for as the first.
We were agreeably surprised at these
results. The wheat paid us at the low
est estimate one dollar a bushel.
We shall continue to feed wheat, con-
sidering it the nearest to a perfect ra-
ton for young pigs and shotes, fitting
and ripening them for market at an ear
lier age than any other feed, which at
present and prospective prices is quite
an important item. In feeding, make
or water. Keep it in a mild acid, but
never longer than "a hours after. in
warm weather, or As in cold. Then
clean up and start anew. Brother farm
ers, try feeding wheat and note results.
According to the National Stockman,
Mr.. o. A. Cory says: Wheat will make
one-third more pounds of pork to the
hundred than any other grain | have
ever fed. 1t should be ground as fine as
coarse flour or middlings, and soaked
from one feed to another, that is, mix
in the morning what you feed in the
evening, and so on. 1t is better to mix
one-third meal and then you can feed
more without making them sick. Be
careful not to feed too much at the start
or you will sicken them. 1 cook mine
and feed 1t wet. l expect to feed 300
bushels this summer
One writer says: Reduce the visible
supply by holding and feeding, and
prices must appreciate, and then Euro
pean buyers will Chamber over each
other to buy. The old economic law
that a shortage of 10 per cent. will raise
prices much more than 10 per cent, say
! 20 10 30 per cent. and vice versa. Let us
now by feeding wipe out the surplus of
10 per cent, the belief that there is
| one, and let us, all over the older wheat
states at least, refuse to sell at what we
/ all know is below the cost of production
/ to say nothing of profits. If the move is
/ made at all general ii is sure to win and
can not lose. He that is low needs fear
no fall"
! f. H. Valentine thinks that it would
| be wise for breeders to be looking for
| substitutes for corn as stock feed.
! There is questioning the fact that in
1 many of the corn growing sections grain
! has been fed too exclusively. 1t is Valu-
/ able if fed wisely. but it should not ex-
/ clude other and equally valua BILE
/ grains. Then again it's proportionate
selling price has been higher for the
past few years. Wheat is becoming
more and more Improbable. 1t is a
universally grown grain, and our Ameri-
can growers meet competition from all
/ parts of the earth where labor is cheap
| ard the cost of production small.
But of corn growing, we might al
most be said to have a monopoly. Corn
| is generally supposed to be indigenous in
this country. and nowhere else does it
! thrive as here. Especially on our
| western prairies is it the standby of the
| farmer. Our government is making en-
| couraging efforts TO extend its use in
| the different countries of the old world
| and with its increased use as article
| of food at home, ii is likely to become
| more and more profitable as a market
| crop. This being the case it is wise to
| find other grains to take its place as
food for the domestic animals, and thus
| increase the marketable amount Of what
| grain crop.
Brother farmers. let us test this mat
ter carefully.
Condition Powders.
When we have reached that stage OF
civilization in which people will be will
ing to pour all manner of combinations
of drugs into their bodies regardless of
effects, provided the bottles are Tabled
patent medicines it is to be hoped
that more attention will be devoted to
the highly scented combinations of saw
dust and saltpetre that are put upon
the market under the name of condition
powders for stock. Some condition pow
ders are effective in certain cases, but
the most popular ones are made on the
"cure-all" plan, just if one would
| combine a cough strip, castor oil, sarsa-
parilla and bunion cure into one de-
| coction for suffering humanity.
| While a few of our condition powders
may be a full assortment of all known
remedies and will cure, If they do not
| kill, many of them are so diluted that
fectiveness of any powders for any par
ticular case depends upon one or two in
gradients. If horses need any drugs they
| should be given what they need. Nine
times out of ten when horses are not
thrifty they need a laxative and less
| heating food. They do not need q con.
| dition powder made of a list Of ingredi-
eRts as long as the moral law, nor dc
| they need scented sawdust Todide OF
| potash is nearly a perfect blood medi-
| cine. When one buys IL he does moi