Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-11-21
URGES FEEDING OF
SOFT CORN TO HOGS
State Agricultural Official States
Farmers in Excellent Position
to Make Capital Out of
Poor Corn.
IOWA LEADS IN
HOG RAISING
Estimated Now That Iowa Has Nearly
5000, 900 Head Hogs, One Half
Million Less Than 1916.


corn problem for Iowa farmers is the
opinion Of Ivanhoe Whitfield of the
state agricultural department. 1t is
STATED by the agricultural official
that the farmers of this state are in
an excellent position to make capital
out of the poor Iowa corn situation.
at has been thoroughly demon
strated," said Mr.. Whitfield, that soft
corn makes an excellent feed for hogs.
With such high prices being offered
for pork the farmer who attempts to
use his unmarketable soft corn as a
feed to fatten hogs is certain of
good profit"
A similar condition existed in
Iowa in 1915. Much of the corn of
the state proved to be soft The frost
this year injured the corn over prac-
tically the entire southeastern por-
tio1 of the state, extending in a
northeasternly direction from a line
which might be drawn from Sioux
county to Scott county. Especially
| in the extreme northeastern portion
of Iowa is the corn reported as be-
| ing badly injured by the early. frost.
Almost Equal to Sound Corn.
The frost has resulted in causing
the corn to be in a soft condition
making cribbing impossible.
A demonstration was carried on
| following the frost of 1915 by Prof.
John Evvard of the Iowa state col
lege at Ames for the purpose of de-
termining the value of soft corn as a
feed for hogs. He reported that it
was almost equal to that of good
corn.
| Just what this state needs now"
said Mr.. Whitfield, is larger drOves
of swine. The agricultural depart
ment during the summer urged that
Iowa farmers begin buying hogs
from Kansas. 1t was believed at that
time that the Kansas farmers would
not have sufficient corn for the hogs
| being raised in that state. The con-
trary proving true, no further effort
was made to bring hogs of any large
numbers into the state.
Iowa As Feeder State.
at is my opinion that farmers Of
this state should make Iowa feeder
state. This is already being done in
the matter of steers. The western
cattle raiser does not attempt to fat
ten his herd ready for the market
but instead sends the steers to the
eastern states, where they are made
ready for the market.
"The same should be done in the
matter of hogs. 1t is well known
fact that Kansas does not produce
enough corn to care for the large
number of hogs raised. 1t is my sug-
gestion that the Kansas farmer not
attempt to fatten hogs ready for the
market, but instead permit the Iowa
| farm to fattel these hogs upon the
corn crops raised in this state.
"This could very we'll be made APP
plicable at this time when there is
such large quantities of soft corn
which can be best used as feed for
hogs"
Mr.. Whitfield said the farmers
would not find it profitable to use
the soft corn for sheep. since the
problem of preparing sheep for the
market was quite different from that
of the hog or the steer.
Sheep Not Affected.
Iowas sheep raising territory,
moreover, was not affected by the
early frost as much as was the hog
raising territory.
1t was the opinion of Arthur r
Corey, secretary of the department.
of agriculture, that the corn crop
can be kept throughout the cold
weather without danger of its spoil
ing.
1t is the opinion of the depart
ment that farmers can be assured OF
a minimum price of 5 cents for hogs
this year. The market price has been
as high as 10 cents and has never
been below IL cents.
Last year the average weight of
hogs received on the Chicago mar
ket was 210 pounds. 1t is expected
that the average weight of hogs this
year will not be below last years.
average Il
The following is table showing.
the average weight and average price.
of hogs for the last ten years: