The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-03-28
DOES II PAY TO SHRED SLOWER
BY C. J. FilIweber, of I n C Service
Bureau

ing value. Prof Henry of the Uni
versity of Wisconsin has conducted
experiments which show that shred
ded slower is about "a per cent more
valuable when fed to milch cows than
1t is in the uncut form. 1t Is also
estimated that about 20 per cent of
the feeding value of corn stalks Is lost
by allowing me shocks to stand in the
field two months. Allowing corn to
stand in the field not only decreases
its value, but it increases the difficult
ties of the cattle.
Just remember that every time you
carry an armful of stalks into the barn
20 per cent of the digestible nutri-
ments contained in the feed go for the
production Of physical energy neces-
sary for doing external work, 43 per
cent is used for keeping up the body,
| and ~ per cent is returned in the
milk pail.
III you handle your corn crop prop
erly you will find 81 per cent of the
total nutriment in the stalks, and 63
per o'nt in the ear, but if you allow
the shocks 70 stand in the field to be
beaten by the winters storms, you can
expect to lose anywhere from 25 per
cent to so per cent of the total feeding
value of the stalks. On the average
acre from two to three tons of slower
are grown. In the stalks produced on
an acre of average corn, there are ap.
proXimately IS pounds of protein,
l,5O0 pounds of carbohydrates, and %
pounds of ether extract A steer
weighing 1000 pounds requires one
half of a pound of protein, 6 pounds
OF carbohydrates, and about one-tenth
of q pound of ether extract daily.
Figured to an exacthess, there are
carbohydrates enough In an acre of
corn to last steer ten months, ether
extract enough to keep him in proper
condition for eight months, and pro-
tein in sufficient quantity to sustain
him for six months.
Probably the only argument against
shredding Is the cost of preparation.
When figured in dollars and cents, the
cost of husking and shredding with a
machine is practically the same as for
hand work. Figures compiled by men
who feed whole stalks, by users of
shredded slower, and by the owners of
machines give the following facts:
Cost of husking 25 acres of shocked
corn, and getting the fodder in stack.
The quality of corn used for the basis
Of the following tables is slightly
above the average, forty bushels to
the acre being taken as a standard
The cost Of labor is figured at current
rates.
Cost of husking 1000 bushels
by hand at cents a bushel. $40 90
Board for man during husking,
averaging so bushels per
: day, for 81 days at S4.b0 Per
week ............,..... IS Sc
Cost of handling husked corn
and fodder from the field.
men and team, days at
$500 per day each for the
men,and $50 for the team. 27 80
Board for men for days, at
Is cents per day. $50
Board for team for days at
so cents per day ......!.. 2 so
Total cost of getting corn in
crib and fodder in stack. ). .$91 90
Cost of husking and shredding 25
acres Of corn, figuring the yieId at 40
bushels per acre, and an average days
work at 500 bushels. A ten-roll husker
and shedder working under ideal con-
ditions has husked 1000 bushels of
corn in a day, but to be conservative
we are reducing these figures consider
ably. We are also figuring the cost of
doing the husking and shredding |
strictly on a bushel basiA In many |
localities owners of huskers and shred. |
ders prefer to work by the day rather |
than by the bushel.
For hire OF husker and shred
der, including the services
of engine, 1000 bushels at
cents .................... $40 90
Three men pitching in the
field, ~ days at $500 each
per DAY ............ gu |
Six men to haul slower from
the Held, u days at $2.OO
each per day. ..... ......... Is 90 |
Six teams and wagons for
drawing slower to the ma
chine, IL days at $3.50 per
day per team. ........... II Is
Fuel .................. 8 so
One man for shoveling corn
into crib, ~ days at $500
per day NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. DO
Board for fourteen men, "
days at IS cents per day.. 10 Is
Feed required for six teams,
IL days at so cents per
team 10
Total Observation-Disclosures 9S.75
$9S.75 minus $1,000 equals $775 or
cost of shredded slower. Since two
tons Of slower are produced on an acre,
and twenty-five acres are shredded,
fifty tons of shredded slower are Sc
cured. AS S775 was the cost of the
shredded slower, the expense Of doing
the work with a machine when dis
,ributed amounts to approximately