South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-12-08
SALT SERVES WELL
TO SAVE SOFT CORN
Investigations Made in Illinois
Prove Much Feed Can be
Saved by Process.

The following is taken from a !
report made by c. J. Mann. coun- !
" agricultural agent of Bureau
Co, Illinois. Farmers everywhere (
are finding it very difficult to save
their corn-even we'll matured corn /
is moulding and rotting in the crib. |
Mr.. Mann reports as follows:
We saw corn that had been
crlbbed for three weeks and had I
never been touched nor had any
ventilation been supplied. 1t was
mostly red corn and was undoubt- /
eddy somewhat better matured than /
the average corn. But it was very |
dirty with husks and silks and was |
wet. 4 few ears showed a little
mould which could be rubbed of /
very easily and left a good bright /
kernel. In another crib Mr. Gibson |
was going over the corn and pull /
ing off the husks and silks and
throwing out the poorest of the |
corn for immediate feeding. This
corn had been cribbed probably /
, weeks and was piled up at least /
g feet. 1t was very dirty and very |
wet but it was not moulded or rot
ten. After examining this pile il
was very evident TO Mr.. Gibson, Mr..
Brown and myself that the corn !
would have been a rotten mass but
for the salt
Cause For Enthusiasm.
We also called on Moths Bros.
grain dealers az Prophetstown.
They were extremely enthusiastic /
about the use of salt from the
grain dealers standpoint and in
sisted that the men in the locali- /
ty who had used salt in recent /
years had delivered the best corn /
10 the elevator.
From these investigations that
actual experience had proved the
use of salt on soft corn to be very /
valuable and there seems TO be no I
good reason for not pushing the /
publicity on the matter as much I
as possible.
The general practice among {
these farmers seemed to be as fol-
lows:
After a load was dumped in the (
crib they spread it out TO about
one foot in depth and sprinkled
over the surface about one half
bucket or about quarts of COM
mon barrel salt Marshall used |
about two barrels on 1000 bushels /
and considered that was too much (
and advised the use of from l to |
- bbls. per 900 bushels. Mr.. !
Gibson used about l barrel OF
ground rock per zoe bushels with |
the above mentioned satisfactory /
results.
safe To Feed stock.
Will the salt on corn be injurl- |
Gus to stock? The experience !
among the men mentioned above !
is that there is no injurious results. |
We tasted some of the corn in the !
cribs and could occasionally find !
an ear from which We could detect /
the taste of salt but Mr.. Lappert !
especially insisted that there was |
no injurious effect whatever and /
stated that in 1915 that they could |
detect no flavor of salt whatever /
in the corn the following summer. |
While it is the general knowledge /
that salt in any great quantities
is injurious TO hogs especially, one
feels no concern in feeding corn
that has been sailed in the crib.
How u Works.
The proper ventilation of cribs |
has been advocated and urged for
some time. But the ventilation !
alone had to be very thoroughly |
to accomplish the desired results
! for the reason that the moisture
seemed to leave the corn and |
especially the cob, very soggy.
Time was therefore given for the /
corn TO heat which was caused !
the development of moulds and rot. |
The salt draws the water from the
corn and the cob very quickly and !
no doubt also causes somewhat OF
poison from the moulds and hin !
ders their development When salt
is used on the corn, the corn be-
comes very wet. water may run /
from the crib and the farmer will |
in some cases become alarmed for
| fear the corn will not keep, but this
seems 10 be as good a way as any 10
get rid OF the water though we must
trust 10 ventilation 70 carry off
the most of il. I would therefore
recommend that cribs be we'll VEN
tilated. that the corn be sorted 10
some extent TO throw out the rot
| ten ears and that salt be used at the
rate of about quarts per load and
| from the experience Of the men
sighted. | believe that our corn Will
come out next season in good con
/ dition.