The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-09-23
BALING STRAW
FOR SHIPMENT
PROF. SHAW DISCUSSES THE
FEED SITUATION - SAYS ALL
STRAW HAS CERTAIN VALUE
PROPERLY HANDLED - MUCH
WILL BE USED FOR FEED.

The following article which appear
ed in the last issue Of The Dakota
Farmer entitled Shipping Straw East.
ward, is from the pen of Prof Thos
Shaw. It is of especial interest to the
North Dakota farmer:
1T Is not improbable that there will
be considerable movement in straw
the present season. With hay both
scarce and dear it would seem to be a
wise plan to make straw take the
place of hay at least to a certain ex-
tent in feeding animals This at least
may apply to certain kinds of straw, as
oat straw and also barley straw. Even
wheat straw has a considerable feed
ing value when it has been cut at the
proper stage of ripening and has been
properly saved.
The Great Northern railroad has
taken up the question Of CARRYING
straw at reduced rates in order to give
the farmers who have much stock an
opportunity to buy from those who
have none. The extent of this move
ment in straw cannot be forecasted at
the present time, but where the haul
is not too long, it should be perfectly
feasible. OF course when other food
Is plentiful it will not pay, but the
present season is so far out of the
ordinary, that it may pay in this in
stance.
If the straw is thus shipped for feed
ing 1t will be to feed dairy cattle more
than other cattle. At first thought IL
would seem absurd to feed straw to
dairy animals for the production Of
milk, and it would be absurd If the
straw were fed alone, but it NAV he
made to serve good end in such feed
ing. 1t may be used as filling along
with grain.
To feed it thus to the best advant-
age 1t viii be necessary to RIM q
through cutting box The grain ,,r
meal to be fed along with 1t is mixed
with the cut straw. The straw will NOT
IN itself produce much milk, but when
the meal is thus fed along with the
straw, the influence exerted by the
presence of the straw Is helpful TO the
digestion. 1t renders the mass less
compact than 1T would otherwise he
IN the stomach, hence the gastric
juices may act upon it more complete
ly. In the process of rumination also
the meal becomes more thoroughly
ground than would otherwise be the
case In this way the straw NAV he
made to take the place of the hay and
other coarse folders.
The extent to which the shipping of
straw for such use may be carried
viii depend first, on the market value
OF hay and other coarse folders
Those who have to buy hay at a cost
say of $40 a ton or more, may profit |
ably feed straw. 1t will depend Sec |
ond, on the cost of transportation. The
feeding value of straw is not such as |
to justify large outlay for carrying IT |
In any event, however, the question
Is certainly of sufficient Importance to |
merit investigation on the part of |
those who have feed to buy. They |
cannot afford to feed all hay as fod- |
der with the prices that are going to |
rule the coming winter.
II such shipments take place. If will I
certainly be lesson to those who have I
been burning straw, 1t may be for sue
cessive years. 1t should remind them
Of the value of what they have been
burning. If, for instance, the Mime
sofa farmer can afford to nav for
straw shipped In from, say North Da-
kota, tt will certainly pay the farmer
OF North Dakota to put his straw to
some better use than that of turning
t into ashes. Soon there is to he !
congress in st. paul. It's
work will consist in advocating the
of the natural resources az
the country. Some such kind Of
is needed in the wheat grow
Ing belt Of the northwest, to show the |,
loss that comes to the country from
he burning of straw produced from 4
year to year. /,