Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-03-22

Diverse opinions are yearly expressed
On the subject Of cobmeal as feed for
stock. Here IL what one farmer, and a
successful one, too has to say OH the
subject Ill II communication to Country
Gentleman: Perhaps the silO gets all
the feeding value out of the corn crop.
but every farmer will not have silo,
and there should he some substitute for
it. This might he mill into which
the stalks and ears might he fed, and
all grounI together. Then no. part Of
this invaluable plant will be wasted
1t Is some years ago that ! suggested
the utility of mill for grinding the
corn in the hIisk, and now l see stich
Il mill is in the market. although l have
not yet tried II. HIT for stock feeding
IL must I've great economy, rs the
huSks are nutritious, said ty some OF
the experts TO he preferable 10 the
blades of the stalk. This believe, AS
l find my stock OF all kinds, horses,
mules and cattle, even calves. eat the
husks readily and get rid of theni-
while the whole stalks are only partly
eaten.
But the cobs Sc IN 10 he despisod by
the najority of the farmers, ana II IL.
alleged that the hard plates in them
cannot lie ground OF digested. This
know is Il mistake. Once I had grist
mill on one of my farms, and the
farmcrs thercabouis brought corn In
the ear to b. ground for all the stock
horse and cattle alike. They insisted
upon having the cobs ground fine. and
! did this by usin. ne OF the ecctn-
tric steel mills then ,lsetl for grinding
quartz for the gold mine. first break
ing the cobs in a bark cruslier re
verScd. The meal was quite as line
and soft as that made frJm the grain
rlnne. When magniiied. the hard parts
Of the cobs appeared like the scales
or the cleaned bran now usual in til.
l ,;irket. On fc,-liis the meal t" my
rJrSrs. and carefully examining 'he
no particle of these hard part
uf the cobs could he seen. They seem
I'd To be digcsted fully as well rs the
bran of the grain.
1t is well known tlat the stomach
OF an animal beats the chemists APP
p:,ratus in The digestion of the food,
and that by skillfully mixing foods
moro of them will lie diyestcd than IL
'.nc were fed alone, Some part nf tlie'
success IL, feeding economically de-
pends on this minglins of various foods,
Rad i, is we'll known l,y observing feed
rrs who thus make IL practice of using
several kinds of foods together and find
as Il result that the products Of this
mixed ration Ii Letter than those from
any single food.
Son,. years ago l suggested to n farm
implement maker the use of Il number
uf snail saws mounted OIL n shaft MS a
means of thus Shr"tllmg the stalks anil
other parts of the corn plant with the
grain so as to make Il MIXED feed for
cattle that would I've easily eaten :.nd,
di.estcd. Since then this metli,h has
been adopted in the preparation of the
cane for sugar making. the cells of the
plant all being broken up by this shred
ding AMI thus releasing the sweet sap
much better thnn 1t can he done by
crushing. There is LITTLE doubt that If
s,lc,, machine We're offered to stock
feeders 1t would become popular. If
the whole waste of our enormous corn
crop could bc accurately figured mp. 1t
woull amount to such large sum as
would add greatly to the aggregate
profits OF feeding stock In every
other industry thnn agriculture every
small saving is made. and it adds con-
siderable to the income.