The Van Buren press., 1895-10-26
Waste Products Of Corn.
From the Pittshurg Evening Telesraph.

From the Pittshurg Evening Telegraph.
Corn, like every other plant, says an
agricultural paper, has been greatly
wasted In this country in the past, but
science is slowly discovering new meth
DDS of disposing proftably Of the So
called waste products. Our corn crop
will not be as valuable to us as 1t should
until we have found some profitable way
of using every part Of the crop. Even
to. day many farmers waste the stalks
and cObs and use only the shelled grain.
Formerly this was the practice entirely
IN the West, but the profits ON the crop
have been reduced so in late year that
farmers find themselves compelled to
dispose OF every part Of the corn crop
that Will bring them In any money.
The stalk, leaves and grain should
find some use on the farm, and in many
respects these will all come into import
ant play in the farm feeding Of the
future. For general feeding purposes
probably ensilaging corn is the most
economical way Of saving every part of
the crop. Here stalks, husks and grain
are all put In the feeding trough to-
gether, and the animals are apt to eat
them up clean. It is certainly very i'm
portant that every farmer should raise
some Of his crops for ensilage purposes.
Why should It all be allowed to form
grain when there are cattle to feed
through the winteri He knows that .
certain amount Of food must be saved
for them, and by cutting part of the
crop for the silo he is getting the best
and surest results. Then he need not
call much upon his stock Of shelled corn
IN - kr1 - t%~n
ward In appreciating the full value Of
the corn ensilage.
But when the corn Is allowed to ripen
Its grains, It is interesting to learn from
the experiment stations that the husks
contain more nutritive value than we
have imagined in the past. The very
name ''husks' Is synonymous with
unnutritious and poor stuff, but names
are misapplied. Next to the grain, tho
dried husks Of corn are the most
nutritious and digestible of the corn
plants. In the North we have been
wasting them largely In the past.
When the corn was husked the husks
were frequently torn from the stalks
and left to blow about the field. We
have consequently been throwing away
the husks and feeding the stalks.
Another part Of the corn that Il
wasted, even today, Is the stubble.,
This uncut part Is usually left In the
field over winter. In the spring the
stubbles are narrowed out and the larger
ones carted away to be thrown In the
nearest waste pile. Some Of them are
ploughed under and 20 to help fertiliEe
the soil. Now the fact Is the digestible.
ness of the corn stubble Is very high,
standing next In importance to the
husks. An acre Of stubble will yield
about 600 pounds Of digestible, nntri.
tious matter. It is estimated that they
are worth 25 per cent. more than the
tops, and contain much more nutriment
than the stalks.
These two facts, brought out by scien.
tific investigation at the stations, show
how very apt farmers are to be mistaken
and how many of our 80 called wastes
can be disposed Of profitably. The corn
crop cannot be properly utilized until
the whole part Of the corn plant can be
ground up together, including the
stocks, tops, husks and stubble. When
these can be ground up and grain mixed
with the mass we VIII have the ideal
method of cattle feeding. Such .
machine could be easily devised and
should not be expensive. The thick
butts Of the stalks are generally wasted
by the cows, for they are 30 large,
clumsy and hard that It is hard work for
them to bite through. But these thick
butts and husks contain 1 900 pounds Of
digestible matter per acre If they can be
cut up and shredded properly. More
over, the COWS enjoy the food, and
when cut up for them eat it eagerly.
Furthermore, the total digestible
matter in the ears per acre is put ct
about 1, 800 pounds and all Of the fodder
at 1 $50. In other words, we have been
wasting the best part Of the corn crop.