The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-10-26

How CORN "a Is wAsTED-osLY THE
CORN HAD " GATHERED: THE ROUGH
AGE Is LEFT TO DECAY.
to more than $l0O.OOO,OOO annually
Both Of these products are disposed Of
most economically when fed to cattle
In connection with some form Of con-
centrated feed. Straw Is especially
valuable In carrying the breeding herd
through the winter, in wintering stock
ers and as a supplementary roughage
for fattening cattle. Slower. too. Is an
excellent feed for winterlng cattle.
especially mature breeding ctws. New
ertheless In many sections Of the coun-
try where these products are abundant
little attempt Is made to take advan-
tage Of their value for these purposes.
OF an annual straw crop OF approx
mately 120,OO0,OO0 tons II Is estimated
that only two-thirds Is put to Its best
use-llve stock production. or the re
mainder little more than one-half Is
sold or turned under and the rest-15
per cent Of the total crop-is burned.
Burning Is practically an absolute
waste, and. although blowing under
does contribute something to soil fertil-
ity, the benefit OF the land Is less than
that which would be derived from the
use of the straw to produce manure.
"Of all systems OF obtaining perma.
nent soil fertility" says the report.
none Is so practical or as easily avail
able as that OF feeding live stock"
The production of corn stover is
about twice that OF grain straw.
amounting to approximately 245.OOO,-
600 tons a year. A larger percentage
Sl.5-of this is fed than OF the straw.
but the waste IL nevertheless astonish-
ing. Stripping the leaves from the
stalks which are subsequently burned.
removing the stalk above the top ear
only. leaving the stalks TO stand In the
field until the loss Of leaves and leach
Ing have removed much OF their fer
tilizlng value. are all unthrlfty meth
DDS. Furthermore. almost 4 per cent
OF the slower is burned. as though. In
stead OF being a potential source OF
revenue. II was merely nuisance TO
be gotten rid of as a preliminary 10
blowing. In some states the percentage
OF stover that Is thus thrown away is
as high as Z or s per cent. and the total
loss 10 the country from the practice
Is estimated at nearly Sl5,000OOO a
year.
To obtain satisfactory results from
the feeding OF farm roughages. such as
straw and stover. they must be COM
bined with some form OF concentrated
feed. At the present time large guam
titles OF such feed. In the form Of cot
tonseed meal and cake. corn. molasses.
peanuts and beans are exported for the
use Of European feeders. II the straw
and slower that are now wasted were
employed 10 feed more cattle these
concentrates could be consumed at
home The result would be tremen
dous saving. not only In the cost OF
producing beef. but in the cost OF en-
riching the soil as well.
The efficient use OF these and other
feeds discussed In the report Is of the
utmost Importance 10 the American
farmer. II Is pointed out. because the
day when close calculation In feeding
was not necessary Is. In all probability.
past. Hereafter II Is likely that sue
cess will depend upon ability 10 put 20
the best use all available products. A
greater knowledge OF what these prod
ucts are aud Of the ways In which
they can be fed will result Ia the elm.
nation 81 enormous waste.