Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-03-03
STOCK FOODS ARE -
OF LITTLE VALUE
Iowa Experiment. Station Advises
Farmers Not to Pay HIah PrLces

Iowa Experiment station Advises
Farmers Not to Pay High PrIees
When tankage costs $40 per ton,
stock foods range from 5000 to $500
per ton. They usually cost from six
to ten times as much as ordinary
feeds. The manufacturer argues
however. that his stock food has Z
stimulating and curative effect that
adds considerably to it's value.
The Iowa Experiment Station has
conducted number of experiments
with stock foods to see il the farmer
really gets his moneys worth from
them. One experiment was carried
on with twenty head Of cattle. The
lot fed corn alone gained 4,3S76
pounds, while the other lot which was
fed both corn and stock food gained
$40 pounds. For the hrst lot the
cost Of producing 100 pounds gain
was $1O.71, while for the lot fed stock
food the cost was $13.41 per 100
pounds gain. The use Of the stock
food increased the cost Of beef pro-
duction "a per cent.
Another experiment at the same
station showed an increased cost of
$1.22 in producing 100 pounds gain
where stock food was used. In this
same experiment the corn fed alone
returned SO cents per bushel, while
that fed In conjunction with stock food
returned only 7Oa cents per bushel.
The use of this food reduced the
value of each bushel Of corn "a cents
and increased the cost Of beef produc-
ton II per cent.
Various kinds of stock food fed
to dairy COWS in conjunction with the
ordinary grain rations increased the
cost of producing butterfat from to
per cent. Similar experiments In
hog feeding showed positive lcss
when stock foods were added to the
ration. Experiments were carried on
with practically all the stock foods on
the market. Results with all of these
were essentially the same as in the
cases cited. A tablespoonful of any
stock food fed night and morning
will not put farmers stock on the
market in thirty days less time.
Neither will 1t double the flow of milk
Of his dairy herd. nor will it prevent
cholera in his chickens, nor CHAMBERS
in horses. It is yet to be proved that
any stock food can do this.
Stock foods are found to be deplor-
ably lacking when tested In tho bal
ance of the chemist. Forty-two Of the
most common stock foods showed
some of the following ingredients in
most every case: Common salt, char
coal. foenugreek, gentian. pepper. %.
som salts. ginger. sulphur, anise. Ton
mel. rOsin, sage. and tarter emetic d.
luted in most cases with oil meal NJ
seed meal. or bran and mill onal
Foenugreek and the five last named
drugs have no medicinal properties
at all.
OF the useful drugs contained In
most stock foods, gentian is by far
the most important. 1t is really the
backbone Of stock foods and tonics.
However, the dose Of gentian for the
horse is one ounce and for the COW
two ounces Of the pure drug. Two
ounces of this drug is more than
tablespoonful. Thus wnen q farmer
gives his animals a tablespoonful of
stock food in which there is two per
cent of gentian. he 10 giving the AMI
NAL one-fiftieth to one-hundredth OF
the dose it should receive il 1t were
actually in need Of that particular
drug EPSON salts 10 an excellent
remedy when given at the proper
time and in the required dose. For
the horse. one pound 10 usually given:
for the COW two pounds. A dose OF
stock food and tonic 10 simply mum.
Der Of partial doses Of the drugs com.
posing it and can be of little value
a. q medicine.
An argument which 10 seemingly
favorable to stock food and one much
used by manufacturers. 10 the great
popularity of such foods. During 1904
Iowa druggists and feed dealers re-
tailed over 500 tons Of stock food.
comprising over forty different brands.
It is a conservative estimate to say
that agents sold another 500 tons.
The price Of these foods varies
greatly, ranging from s. to 81, per
hundred weight. The retail prices
average we'll above $3.50 per hundred
weight, showing that over $4,000
was spent during the year for condi-
mental stock foods.
Why has stock foods gained such
popularity among farmers and stock
men, IL there Is no real worth In it?
The chief reason is that men like to
see their animals in good health and
If sick they like to effect cure with
out any special effort. Using condi-
mental stock food for animals Is very
much like the use Of patent medicines
in the human family. A great many
people use them all the time and few
people are not guilty of having used
them some time. These remedies are
put up In such a convenient shape
and the curative properties extend
over such a broad field, that the pa