The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-02-01

fed to other live stock; 81 per cent
(9,O0O000 tons) burned; 1913 per cent
(25.OO0O00 tons) plowed under; 30 per
cent (6000A00 tons) sold and 10 per
cent (4000,000 tOnS) used for other pur-
poses. most of which was bedding.
The yield of dry slower. as estimated
varies from l to Gfa tons per acre, with
the average close to tons per
acre. The estimated value is about
50 ton.
The disposition of corn stover in the
United States is very similar in char
acter to the disposition of straw,
though differing somewhat in degree
About So per cent of the straw is fed,
while SD per cent of the slower Is
utilized in that way. OF the slower
fed to live stock. however, it is esti-
mated that at least So per cent Is
wasted Straw is burned to the ex.
tent of l. per cent. while only 81 per
cent of the slower is disposed of In that
manner. Straw sold amounted to 70
per cent. while only &c per cent of the
slower is marketed. This is to be ex.
pected, since straw is more easily ham
died in marketing. About II per cent
of all straw is used for bedding.
while less than 2 per cent Of the slower
is so used.
1t is needless to say that burning the
slower is a great waste. although \
seems to offer quick and easy method
of cleaning the ground preparatory to
blowing. This system is most largely
practiced where the corn is snapped.
or husked in the field, leaving the
stalks standing.
In some sections of the United States
cattle are wintered with slower as the
sole roughage, supplemented with
little grain. Breeding cows or stockers
will winter nicely on slower and oaf
straw, together with small quantity
of either cottOnseed meal, linseed oil
meal. or corn. The meal. when fed
without other grain, should be fed in
the cake form, preferably of nut size.
When fed in that manner 1t is LOT lost
by dropping through cracks or by be
ing blown away, and is not spoiled by
saliva or rain.
In preparing slower for feeding pur
roses, cutting and shocking under gen
eral conditions involves less labor than
shredding, and the waste is about off
set by the labor factor. Chopping Oh
shredding increases the palatahility
and reduces the storage space for houS
ing the crop. but the labor involved
greatly increases the cost of prepare
ton. If cheap power and labor ART
available on the farm, shredding OF
cutting is to be recommended. DRY
corn slower may be shredded or cul
and put into the silo if sufficient wata'
is added. The waste is greatly de
creased in this manner. and the result
ing feed somewhat resembles greer
silaye and has been used successful!
by some farmers.
A practice in certain sections Which
is both uneconomical and wasteful il
that of pulling the fodder" or strip
ming the leaves from the stalk, leaving
the stalk to be burned. OF the corr
that is allowed to mature in the field
! about 10 per cent is handled in that
way. Another wasteful practice is thai
of topping" the corn, by which the
stalk above tflc top ear Is removed and
either stored or shocked for fodder
About 10 per cent of the matured corr
is so handled. OF the stalks left stand
ing in the field. 35 per cent are pas
tured. SO per cent are plowed under
| and u per cent are burned.
The total value of the stover pro
duced in the United States in 1914 was
about S436, S67, 900. Almost 4 per cent
as stated above. or about S14,757, 200
worth of it was burned. This waste
is astonishing when one considers the
| feeding value of the material thus de
stroyed. To utilize the wasted straw
and stover by feeding to cattle would
of course. involve the use of large
quantities of concentrated feeds.