Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-05
,ecial to Times Republican.


of Soft Corn for Beef Production" ds
the title of bulletin No TO- just issued
by the animal husbandry section of the
Iowa experiment station. The soft corn
problem has been a serious one, during
the past two years. in many sections
of the central west due to the early
frosts which affected the crop before it
was mature.
Much of the corn from a market
able standpoint was worthless. 1t
must either be fed to stock or allowed
to rot in the fields. To the man who
grew a fair acreage of corn for his own
feeding operations the matter was easi-
~ solved. He could feed it to hrs AMI.
mails. With the gram farmer and the
stock feeder it was different. One had
been accustomed to selling corn and the
other was purchaser.
What was the value of soft corn
This at once became pertinent ques-
ton. It could not be evaded. The feed
er had his feed lots full of high priced
cattle, the grain farmer had his fields Of
unmarketable corn. Had 1t any feeding
value? Some men claimed that the
frost changed the composition, making
it practically worthless. The chemist
claimed that the only difference be-
tween soft corn and mature corn was
the water content, which was very
much greater In the former.
Requests from all over the state for
information along this line caused the
animal husbandry section to take up
this matter, make the practical feeding
tests, supplemented by chemical tests
such other informai mon which had a
direct bearing on this subject as is re-
ported in Bulletin No. Is.
The, following conclusions are de-
Quoted from the results obtained:
]. That soft corn grown on the COL
lege farm in 1902 and containing 35 per
cent of moisture at the beginning OF the
test. pound for pound, on water free,
or dry matter basis. was fully equal in
feeding vaiue to mature corn grown
in 1900 When used for fattendng cat
tie.
2. That cattle fed on such soft corn
made nearly as heavy gains and fin
ished equally as we'll as those fed on
mature corn grown IN 1900.
g. That when soft corn similar to
that used in this test, could be purchas-
cd for so cents per t'ushel, the prevail
ing market pHce, gains on fattening
cattle could be made at a cost of 1903
cents per pound less than when mature
corn. costing so ceilts per bushel the
no faI 10y.
similar conditions.
4. That study OF the Chicago live
stock market conditions from January
i, 1903. to July 81, 1903, shows conclu-
sively that the comparatively low
prices of beef cattle was not caused
by an over-supply OF half finished cat
tie. On the contrary there was a larger
number of we'll finished cattle marketed
during that period for 1903 than for the
period OF any of the past
ten years.
s. That the chemical analyses would
indicate that the nutritive value OF the
corn grown tn 1902 compares fayorably
with mature corn grown in other years
when water free substance or dry mat
ter serves as bass of comparison.
g. That the amount of moisture pres
ent was the main differences so far as
Is concerned. That the
amount of moisture depends mainly on
the maturity OF the corn when stricken
by frost.
All panttes desiring copy OF this
bulletin may secure the same by writ
ing C. F. Curtis, Director Of Iowa Ex-
pertinent Station, Ames, Iowa