Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-10-23
Corn Fodder, Waste and Utility.


From Farmers Review: Perhaps
the most stupendous waste occurring
on the American farm to-day is that
of the corn fodder crop. Something
like 90,000000 tons Of corn fodder are
annually produced on the 80 to 80
million acres normally planted to
corn in the United States. In the
corn belt of the Middle West, where
about rs per cent of all the corn OF
the country is grown, there is a pro-
digious and profligate waste OF this
foodstaff. In this same, section valu-
able land is annually used for the
production of roughness, such as
timothy, millet, sorghum, etc, while
acres of corn fodder are allowed to
go to waste. In Missouri 1t is safe to
estimate that something like 100000
tons of corn fodder are grown in the
average year. Certainly three and
half million tons, or one-half Of all
that is produced, is wasted. The av-
erage hay crop of the state Is scarcely
more than 100000 tons. and is esti-
mated to be worth on the farm over
$2O,OO0,000. Yet large proportion
OF this hay is timothy material that
supplies the same class of nutrients
for our stock that is found in corn
fodder. The question, therefore, as
to whether this fodder can be used as
a substitute for any considerable
amount of hay, is especially import
ant to every grain grower and stock.
man In the Middle West, even in this
year of plenty.
The Feeding Value of Fodder.-Care-
ful experiments show that more than
one-third of all the digestible ma
terial contained in the entire corn
plant is found in the fodder, and that
less than two-thirds is concentrated
In the grain. Clearly no one is justi-
ned in permitting the waste Of one
third of the crop that he has been at
the pains of growing.
1t has been further shown that
ton of corn fodder contains practically
the same number of pounds OF digesti-
Bile material as does a ton of timothy.
1t does not follow, however. that as an
exclusive ration for stock 1t is as val
liable as Timothy. ton for ton. since it
is not SO palatable and not so COM
pletely, eaten. and that the stock will
not eat enough Of 1t to make profitable
gains. The Missouri Experiment sta.
tion has been studying this problem
during the last seven years with a
view to ascertaining the best method
Of treating corn fodder and the best
combinations with other foods in or
der to increase its feeding value.
These experiments clearly show
that yearling steers may be wintered
on whole fodder from which all the
ears were carefully removed, without
grain or other food. and neither gain
nor lose in weight. That similar
steers when fed all the bright timothy
hay they would eat and without
grain will make a slight gain. More
pounds Of fodder than of timothy
were necessary to winter cattle of
this class. The coarser portions Of
this stalk, amounting usually TO be-
tween thirty and forty per cent of
the whole weight of the fodder, was
refused by the cattle. All things con-
sidered. it is safe to say that when
fed alone, ton of corn fodder has
something like half the feeding value
of timothy hay. That it IS not good
business policy, however, to winter
cattle in this way in the ordinary
season will be accepted without argu.
ment-H. j. Waters. University of
| Missouri.