The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1912-09-07
FEEDING CORN FODDER
tBy j. E waggoner Of the |. H. c. Ser
vice Bureau)

tBy J. E. Waggoner Of the /. H. c. Ser
vice Bureau)
Profit is a stimulus which causes men
to engage in some one or more of the
many phases aof business. 1t may be
commerce. the industries, banking, farm
ing or some other activity, yet wnen all
is said, the profit from that particular
line of work is usually the attractive
feature. Competition has become so
strong that profit in many Undertakings
Is made only by practising the strictest
principles of economy and exercising
unusual care in looking after the small
things and what might be termed by
products" For instance, one of the
sources of the bankers income is the
small increase i'll the rate of interest on
money loaned over what 1t cost him
The same is true of the farmer. The in
crease in the value of land has necessi-
tated putting farming on more OF a
business basis in order to realize a
profit on the investment.
Much has been sad and written re-
gardng saving and utilizing the waste
product sof the farm, and 1t is encour
aging to note that more farmers are
| making better use OF all the products OF
| their farms than ever before. One c
| the most serious wastes has been the
neglect to save and utilize the entire
| corn crop. The principal market de-
| mand has been for the grain. This, COM
bined with an abundance of hay, has not
been conducive to the use of corn fod-
| der as a rough forage. Conditions have
| changed the past few years; among
| other things hay has advanced in price
/ to such an extent that 1t Is only good
| business practice for farmer to supply
/ his rough forage in the form of corn
| fodder and put his hay on the market
Every grower of an acre of corn should
| know the feeding value of the entire
| crop. 1t is quite generally known what
| returns can be expected from the grain
| but few farmers know the feeding value
| of the corn slower tstalks without the
| ears). Reports from the Nebraska Ex-
pertinent Station on experiments made
/ comparing combinations or s:e:ieu corn
| snapped corn, alfalfa and corn slower
| show that when stover. is used as half
of the roughage 1T reduces the cost OF
| gains on two year old steers from 40 to
| IS cents per hundred. The stover was
| found to be actually worth $3.50 per ton
| as compared with alfalfa fed alone at IS
| per ton. The farm value of alfalfa and
| other hay crops reached mark Of more
than twice this amount the past year,
| thus increasing the value of corn stovcr
from So to s12 per ton.
| With these figures before US, it l.
| plain to see that the corn belt farmer
is neglectng one OF his important
sources of income by letting his corn
stalks stand in the field Considering
| the small yield of only one ton of stover
| to the acre, the returns of the American
farmer would have been increased mil
lions of dollars last year is this what
mgth be called by-proiuct had been
saved. Coming lack to the individual
| farmer, he would have realized his pro,
| portion OF this profit During this sum
| mer is the time to plan on cutting the
corn for fodder this fall ana utilizing TO
| the best advantage the entire corn crop
| We find that the Nebraska Bulletin No.
100 says: by feeding corn fodder, We
| utilize the stalk and yet are put to no
| extra labor husking it. In fact, corn
| can be cut with a harvester and put in
| the shock cheaper than it can De picked
and crbbe1, inasmuch as three men
| with team and harvester can cut and
| shock seven acres per day Re cords
| from the farm department of this expert
| ment station show that 1t cos.s Sis per
| acr etO cut and shock corn, which figure
| does not allow for the year ana tear on
| the machine Three cents per bushel
| should cover the cost of harvesting corn
with a machine and putting it in the
| shocks"
| The logical way OF saving the corn crop
| is to shred the fodder. Extensive eX-
| periments at the Wisconsin Experiment
| Station SHOW that about II per cent OF
| the feeding value of fodder is lost if
| left exposed to the elements. BY shred
| ding and storing, this loss will be pre-
| vented, The fodder is also in much
| more convenient form for handling, and
| is relished more by the stock. Shredded
fodder does not occupy as much room
for storing as the unshredded. and tn
| stable manure is much easier handled
| In summing up the results OF various
| feeding experiments with corn in all
| forms it is found that the best way to
| utilize the corn crop is 70 save the
| stalks either in the form of ensilage or
| shredded fodder, The records CT the Ne
| braska Experiment Station dspel any
| doubt as to the economy of harvesting
| corn by the use of the corn binder as
| compared with Ia skiing the standing
| corn in the field. Under the latter con-