Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-04-05
Wheat straw as Feed,


An Iowa farmer says In farm ex-
change: We were unlucky enough to
sow some of the so-called Northern
wheat sold by our local miller here
last spring, and like all my neighbors
who did likewise had to put up with
crop OF rusty straw and two or four
bushels of chicken feed per acre.
When we thrashed we put this rusty
straw In the bottom of the straw stack,
thinking 1t of no value except for ma
nure There was only about four
acres of 1t. and we thought to use II
to keep the good straw from the native
wheat, which was nice and bright, of
the ground. Now we are very much
surprised to find the cattle eating the
very bottom out from under the straw
stack. They get Down on their knees
and reach as far as their necks will
stretch for bite of that rusty straw
and the stack is about ready to tum.
Bile. The bright straw that looked SO
nice to us don't seem to have any at
traction for them. They leave good
corn fodder half cleaned up to rubber
for that rusty straw. Prairie hay
don't seem to be any better to them
and 1t looks as though will have to
fence that stray stack to keep them
from getting killed when 1t falls. This
confirms in convincing way the re-
port recently published in Wallace's
Farmer Of the analysis of bright and
rusty wheat straw in which 1t was
shown that the rusty straw contained
the most nourishment This is also
another proof that cattle are pretty
good chemists and often know better
than their owners what is best for
them.
Moles.
The Kansas Agricultural College has
just issued newspaper bulletin on
moles. 1t says, greatly condensed:
"Moles have few natural enemies. as
they seldom come to the surface.
Their food consists chiefly of earth
worms and insects that live in the
ground. and the presence of moles in
large numbers Is evidence of the album
dance of their food. They destroy
| nox ious insects III great numbers es-
peclally the grub worm or May beetle
larva. and were 1t not for the damage
they do to lawns and crops by throw
ing up their ridges. they would be
more beneficial than harmful They
| seldom eat grains of newly planted
corn. This is done principally by field
mice that follow them In killing them
by poison the best method was to moi
son green corn Din the roasting ear
stage) with strychnine and placing it
In their burrows. Unroasted peanut
kernels, poisoned. We're also quite sue
cessful, as was shelled corn soaked
In syrup and strychnine. Bits of meat
and dead insects. poisoned. have been
used successfully. but there ia more
danger Of poisoning dogs when meat is
used. as the burrows lie close to the
surface.
Traps for catching moles are sold
| in most of the hardware stores. Near.
ly all Of them work by the use Of
IL spring coil, which. when released,
drives number of sharp tines into
| the ground and through the mole.
Some experience in setting these traps
| will lead to the best results: but trap.
ping is much slower process than
poisoning.
Moles are usually actively mt work
in the early morning or late in tile
afternoon. At times there is also a
short period of activity about noon.
1t is not difficult to kill them with a
pitchfork when they are working, the
animals being located by observing the
movement of the ground above them.
III water is allowed to run into the
hurrow and fill it. the animal, when
present. can be forced to come to the
surface to avoid drowning and may be
easily killed. The writer, at one time.
killed a female and six young at one
such operation. The best remedy for
the damage done to lawns and grass.
plots by moles is prompt rolling with
a heavy roller. BY continual repeti.
ton of this the moles will be driven
away, at least temporarily.