The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1898-02-10
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
ATLANTA, Feb. /. 1893.
SHREDDED CORN STALKS.


SHREDDED CORN STALKS
Az matter of much Importance to
farmers, I again call their attention to
the immense value of the corn stalks
usually left standing and wasting in the
fields when they are shredded and used
for forage. have recently had con.
versation. with gentleman who is now
selling all he can make of this forage at
$40 ton in carload lots, and $l2 ton
in smaller quantities. His experience
is that from "a to ~ tons of shredded
fodder can be made to the acre, accord
ing to the size and number of plants,
and that large machine will cut each
day the product from six to 10 acres
or course il both cases the amount is
determined by the quality and yield Of
the corn crop It has been ascertained
that the larger machines accomplish
more profitable and more satisfactory
work than the smaller ones. the stalks
being more thoroughly cut and shredded.
These machines being portable, if one
farmer cannot afford the higher price
Tor the larger machine, a combination
OF farmers can invest in one and thus
by moving from one farm to another
the stalks for neighborhood may be
converted into wholesome and nutri-
tive food. Or, as suggested before, one
man may own such machine and by
working all farms in reach during the
fall and winter the entire crop of corn
stalks may be shredded without expense
to the owners. A strange proposition,
but nevertheless true, because the toll
may be paid in kind, and is taken. from
an otherwise worthless product
At the experiment station farm the
stripped stalks. which had been left
standing on the fields until January,
were hauled up and shredded. The pro-
duct was not only readily eaten by the
farm animals, but upon analysis was
found to contain more nutriment than
an equal amount of the cottonsead
bulls, now so popular as stock food
The shredded fodder has this additional
advantage over the hulls, it is much
| more relished by horses and mules, as
well as cattle, and there is not the same
precautlon necessary in feeding it, 1t
is well known by those who feed cotton
| seed hulls that there is danger Of its be.
| coming compacted, if fed i'll too large
quantities, and that it is always safer
to mix it with other more concentrated
| food stuffs
The utilization of such tremendous
| quantity of forage will enable us not
only to raise more land better cattle and
farm stock for home use, but will give
an impetus to stock raising for export
There is growing demand from the
west for southern cattle, and with this
enormous addition to our food stuffs, a
comparatively large number of beeves
may be successfully raised to meet this
market without drawing too heavily
upon the other resources of the farm.
Thus will be opened new source
of income for the south and also
the foundation be laid for direct
expectation to Europe of thousands of
southern raised beeves. We have every
advantage of climate and transporta-
ton. and once the business gets firm
foothold, we can scarcely compute its
benefits to the south. Our superior stu.
alton and environment will give us all
immense leverage over our western com.
petitors. This plan of shredding and
utilizing the otherwise useless corn
stalks is growing in.favor each day and
the time is coming when the shredded
fodder will be as much an article of
commerce as the popular cottonseed
hulls. once considered equally worth
less
THE COTTON ACREAGE.
We have no new arguments to offer
on this subject on which hangs the pros.
perity. not Of the farmers only, but of
the whole south, and we may say, of the
country at large In the successful and
profitable handling and marketing of
our cotton crop by farmers, buyers.
manufacturers and others we include a
very large per cent Of our national pop.
ulation. and therefore the decision of
the farmers as to how much cotton they
will undertake to raise in '9S is a mat
ter of almost as much Importance to the
whole country as to themselves. This
| decision to some extent affects present
conditions also. for as soon as it becomes
known that a large crop is to be planted.
the price either continues depressed or
falls lower; whereas, if reduced area
is decided on. prices and the general
! cotton trade show favorable tendency.