The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-11-16
Shredded Corn Stalks.

As matter of much importance to
farmers, ] have again called their at
tention 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 conversatiin with
gentleman who is now selling all
he Can make of this forage at $40 a
ton in carload lots, and $l2 ton in
smaller quantities. Fis experience
is that from l IL to PIP tons Of
shredded fodder can be made to the
acre, according to the size and num-
ber of plants, and that large ma
chine will cut each day a product
from six TO twelve acres Of course
in both cases the amount is deter.
mined by the quality and yield of
the corn crop 1t has been ascer
tanned that the larger machines ac-
compllsh more profitable and more
satisfactory work than the smaller
ones. the stalks being more thorough.
" cut and shredded. These machines
being portable, if one farmer cannot
afford the higher price for the larger
machine, combination of farmers
can invest in one. and thus by NOV
ing from one farm to another the
stalks for q neighborhood may be
converted into a wholesome and
nutritive food Or, as suggusted
before. one man may own such q
machine and by working all farms iD
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 pro-
duct
At the experiment station farm the
stripped stalks. which bad been lett
standing in the field un,i: Jauuary.
we're hauied up and shredded. TIE
product was not ooiy readily eaten by
the farm animals, but upon analysis
was found to coots'n more uutrimeBt
than 40 equal amount Of the cotton
seed bulls. DOW so popular as stock
food. The shredded fodder has this
additional advantage ovee the hulls. it
is much more rel,sned by horses and
mules. as we'll as cattle. and there is
no, the sane precautiou necessary 10
feeding it 1. is we'll knowo by those
who feed cotton seed bulls that there is
danger Of its becoming compacted, if
fed 10 too large quantities, aud that it
is always safer 10 mix it with other
more concentrated food stufs
The utilization Of such tremendous
quantity of forage viii! ebabIe US DOT
only to raise more aud better cattle and
! farm stock for home use, but will give
an impetus to stock raising. for xport.
There is growing demand from the
West for Southern cattle. and With
this enormous addition to our food
s,uf,. 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 a new
source Of income for the South, aod
also the foundation be laid for direct
expectation TO Earope Of thousands of
Southern raised beeyes We have
every advantage Of climate and
ira deportation. aud once the busin ess
gets a 6rn footbold. We cao scarcely
com pute its beoe6,s to the South.
Oar superior situation and environ
ment will give us ao immense leverage
over our Western competitors. This
plau of sbredding aod utiliztiog the
otherwise useless ccrD stalks is grow
Jog 10 favor each day, aud the tine
;s coming wben sbe shredded fodder
will be as much 40 article Of commerce
as the popular costoo seed huils. o"ce
considered equally worthless R 7.
Nesbitt, Ga. Com. Of Agriculture