Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-06-20
.FAVORS SILo AS
FOOD CONSERVER
Dairy Commissioner Barney Advo-
Gates Use For Both Beef and
Dairy Cattle.
BIG SAVING IN COST
OF MEAT AND MILK
Says Number of Silos i'm Iowa Should
Be Doubled by September l.
Governor Urged to Set
Aside ''Swat the
Rooster" Day.

DeS MONIES, June 16.-W. b. Bar
ney, state food and dairy commits
sioner, believes that one of the most
factors in food conserva-
tion on the farm is the silo. He ad-
vocates its use for both beef and
dairy cattle and says that it would
be big saving il the cost of pro-
ducing both beef and milk if it were
more generally used. y
why not double the number of
silos by Sept. /, 1917" asked Com
missioner Barney today. 1.-THE feed
ing value of our corn crop can be in
creased 80 to 40 per cent without in
creasing the acreage. This can be
done by putting the crop into the
silo.
Il have used a silo for over twen-
ty-five years and feel sure that an
estimate of 80 per cent increase in
the feeding value of corn is most con-
sentative when converted into ensil-
age.
I'VE hear much of late about the
conservation of our food to sustain
human and animal life," he contin-
ued. us it not we'll to remember if
we will save this great waste in our
corn fields there will be little need of
blowing up the roadsides and rail-
way right Of ways?
THE Iowa corn crop for 1915
amounted to 285,434,000 bushels.
do not think ten per cent Of this
went into the silo. / am free to ad-
NIT that fifty per cent should be
husked and used for commercial
purposes leaving the other half to
go to the silo if we would get the
greatest possible amount of feed out
of it. This leaves 142,717,000 bush
els.
"If We were to deduct 10 per cent,
which / think is more than goes to
our silos, we would have left 40 per
cent or 12S,445,300 bushels, worth
at least 81 per bushel or $128,445,-
800. Thirty per cent of this would
be 3S,533,59O bushels, worth 81 a
bushel, or $3S,533,59O, representing
the saving that will come to the
state by proper handling Of our
greatest agricultural crop.
If your neighbor should go into his
forty-acre oat field cut over GO to
70 per cent of the crop and leave the
balance to go to waste, you would
think him fit subject for the in
sane asylum. Yet that is substan-
TALLY what happens when you husk
your corn and leave the stocks in the
field.
1.-THE saving of this nearly $40,-
100000 worth of feed would mean
more beef, pork and mutton as we'll
as more butter, cheese and other
dairy products"
Governor w. l.. Harding will be
asked to issue proclamation to set
aside q certain day as swat the
rooster day."
This is to be in the interest OF egg
conservation. Infertile eggs will
keep much better than fertile eggs
the state food and dairy department
points out and therefore the depart
ment will initiate campaign to get
rid of the roosters during the warm
summer months.
If all of the roosters were dispens-
ed with the state department esti-
mates a saving of fully ten per cent
in eggs, which otherwise become un-
fit for use, would be accomplished. :
In statement just now being Is
sued the state department points out
the following.
Produce only infertile eggs for
market because they do not spoil so
quickly as the fertile eggs.
Dispose of ROSTERS as soon as
eggs needed for Matching are obtain
ed. The eggs keep better and the
hens will lay Just as many.
Provide plenty OF clean nests
with clean straw IN them.
Gather eggs, twice daily in the
hot weather and store them in cool
sweet, we'll ventilated place but do
not put them in damp places.
Market them as often as posstbAe
and carry them gently.
do not sell eggs from stolen
nests. Use them at home.
Protect eggs from the sun when
taking them to market. Eggs expos
ed to the hot sunshine for one hour
will spoil. This applies to fertile as
we'll as to infertile eggs.
Candle your eggs. Insist on hav-
ing good eggs and pay accordingly"
The spring conference of the dairy
and food department is to be held
during the next three days and food
conservation will be the leading
~ nV-