The New York herald., 1921-12-05
.25 MILLION BUSHELS
CORN TOGO AS FUEL
Western Utility Companies
Join Farmers in Burning
Their Stocks.
CHEAPER THAN COAL
81 Best Price Obtainable for
Grain-BituminOus Is
$11 on Rack.
HEAT VALUE is EQUAL
Only a Material Advance in
Price of Grain Can Check
Destruction.
HEAT VALUE is EQUAL

Special Despatch to THE New York HERALD
/ CHICAGO. Dec. 4.-Large quantities
/ Of corn will be burned in the West for
! fuel this winter unless there is q
material advance in the price of the
grain. While no accurate statistics
have been compiled as to the amount
of corn burned Chicago grain men
say that even under normal conditions
there is more or less of this done, and
estimate that already 1000,0 900 bushels
have been used as a substitute for
coal. Should the winter prove severe
in the territory west Of the Mississippi
River, especially in Iowa, Nebraska
and South and North Dakota, it is
estimated conservatively that possibly
25000,O00 bushels or more will be
burned
So far the burning Of corn has been
done almost entirely In sections where
the grain is selling at low price,
around 90 to 25 cents busnel net to
the producer. while coal is anywhere
from 80 to s12 ton for bituminous.
Anthracite is almost beyond the reach
of many Of the Western farmers, selling
at more than s22 a ton in parts of Ne
braska when IL can be obtained.
The O'Neill Electric Light and Power
Company of O'Neill Neb.. started to use
corn for fuel last week, and another pub
| lie utility concern in that State IS doing
| likewise, while Pocahontas county, iowa,
has officially ordered the use OF corn
in place of coal in all county buildings.
Exhaustive tests made as to the rela-
tive heating value OF corn and coal show
the former has a high efficiency. and in
addition the ash has considerable value
as fertilizer. The Buenos Aires. Argen-
tina. Electric Light plant used corn al
most exclusively for fuel for some time
during the war. using around 100 tons
a day. and Il is still used TO a great
extent by farmers In that country.
u. 8. Looks Into Matter.
The United STATES Department OF
Agriculture has taken up the subject OF
corn for fuel and has issued a circular
covering the relative value of the two.
A ton of ear corn Is 30 bushels and at
20 cents a bushel would be equal in fuel
value to soft coal at $40.
However farmers have to haul the
corn to market and in a majority OF
]
to have 1t shelled. II is customary 10
run the shelter on corncob fuel.
In addition to the economic necessity
which has forced many farmers to de-
pend entirely on themselves for food
and feed, credit being exhausted. there
is the general disgust over the low
price. present values for the grain be-
ing figured authoritatively at anywhere
from 10 to 20 cents a bushel below the
cost of production and in many sections
OF the West the burning of corn is ad-
vocated to dispose of what appears to
be n burdensome surplus. In Iowa tel
ephone poles were placarded with re-
quests that corn be burned.
In this connection J. r. Howard pres
ident of the American Farm Bureau
Federation, says: 1--WE are doing every
thing we can to discourage the farmer
from burning corn. He is driven to IL
as an economic necessity. 1t Is bad
public policy for the country to lose this
amount OF food but unless the price OF
coal comes down or corn goes UP the
use OF the latter Will continue"
Editors Oppose Burning.
Leading agricultural journals are
strongly against the proposed use of
corn in place of coal or wood for fuel
and some of the editorials have been
bitter. Robert Belfield. a farmer resid-
ing in Carroll county, Iowa, a visitor to
Chicago's stock show. said II have
upward OF $4,000 bushels of 1919 corn.
All can get for IL in the open market
is 25 cents a bushel at the most. Then
/ must haul 1t to the local station. Ally
return on my corn is about 81 ton.
not figuring what 1t cost me to haul II
from the farm to the depot. Good grades
of soft coal out in Carroll county cost
s11 q ton on the track. The farmers
haul Il from the siding TO the farm. 1t
is a pocketbook proposition with me.
Personally i think it is a sin TO burn
corn. but the substitution of corn for
coal is the only salvation for lot of
us farmers"
Mr. Belfield also declared the ash Of
the burned corn was a valuable fertil-
izer. "Of course. we have to dry the
coo cbrn thoroughly" continued Mr.. Bel
field, before we can burn II. From my
own observations cob corn is every bit
as good as soft coal for fuel and big
advantage Is that it Is not smoky and
dirty like soft coal"
Under normal conditions the bulk or
tho commercial corn crop of the United
States that enters into interstate COM
merce Is produced in seven States-llli-
nois. Iowa. Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas
Ohio and Indiana--Of Whlcn oHty ihi-
nois, Iowa and Nebraska furnish any
great amount. Normally not much over
$50, 900. 900 bushels OF corn arrive at
terminal markets and should 10 per
cent. OF this be used for fuel II would
probably have a decided effect on values.
The action Of the War Finance Cor
poration in Offering to lend 10 per cent.
Of the value of the grain 20 farmers to
hold it for higher prices is expected TO
have more effect ultimately In checking
its use for fuel than anything else. on
the basis of per cent. for money and
corn at 25 cents. It would cost less
than two cents a bushel for interest to
carry the grain In crib for year, while
insurance, shrinkage and other charges
would not bring the cost UP to over 3Ia
cents a bushel. The main trouble IL re-
garded 70 be in the ability OF farmers to
secure proper credits in country towns
in a majority of instances the country
merchant already being over extended.
wICKERsHAM TO ne At FORUM
Special Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
PRINCETON. Dec. 4.-Princeton under
-raduatoe will hold an omen forum to-