The Semi-weekly Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 1923-19??, 1932-06-03
THE STORY OF SOYBEANS
BY Everett L. Roquemore


Seldom is new product quickly and
generously adopted by country or To-
cal community until the "newness" has
worn off, or until it has, through ac-
tual use or practical test, demonstrate
ed its merit
1t makes no difference how success
full the product may have proven If
distant areas; the average person us
ually maintains 4 "shoW-me" attitude
and courageous indeed is he or she
who casts precedence aside and is the
first to adopt a new article which has
not been "popularized" in the locality
where it is being introduced.
1t was 800 years after the introduc-
tion of the potato into Europe before
its use became general. When bath
tubs We're introduced they met with
much opposition, many claiming that
the bathtub was merely an expensive
luxury which could be afforded only
by the rich.
The automobile, the radio and doz-
ems Of other items, now considered in
the class Of semi-necessities, had tc
pass through a trying Introductory
period. Through the process of edu
cation the barrier of lack-of-confidence
was gradully broken down and gener-
al public acceptance took its place.
And so it is in the United States, to-
day, soybeans are passing through the
Introductory stage. True-in many To-
calities soybean products have already
arrived" Thousands of farmers, for
instance, are feeding soybean oil meal
to their livestock and poultry as the
protein-supplemental part of the ra-
tions.
Today, more than ever before, feed
ers are greatly interested in reducing
the unit feed cost of their products to
the lowest possible level and at the
same time holding production up to
profitable basis. More milk, more
meat, more eggs-at a minimum feed
cost per gallon, pound or dozen-that
is the goal of aggressive dairymen,
poultrymen, beef and pork growers
today.
1t is quite impossible to increase the
selling prices of finished products;
therefore the cost of production must
be lowered if at all possible.
The cost of production can be low
cred only by carefully studying the
factors that contribute to the "cost
dollar" These principal factors are
labor, housing, overhead and feed
cost Assuming that labor, housing,
depreciation, taxes and interest on in
vestment are now reduced to a min
imum, the only remaining factor of
Importance is feeding cost. How can
this factor Of feed cost be reduced ?
First, it is nearly always wise to feed
as much home-raised material as pos
sible. Second, because homegrown
feeding materials lack certain proteins
vitamins, carbohydrates, fats and min
erals which are essential to lie,
growth, production and reproduction
the wise feeder supplements his farm
feeds with one or more ingredients
which supply these essentials, or in
other words, he adds "balancer."
This situation offers wonderful pos
sibilities for the utilization of soy
beans, since soybean oil meal is a
very economical source of protein.
When adequately fortified with essen
tial minerals, this concentrate sup
plies most efficiently and most eco
nomically the nutrients lacking in
farm feeds. 1t is very palatable, cas-
lily digested and assimilated. All farm
animals like it.
Of much significance to farmers is
the fact that each ton of soybean oil
meal utilizes the output of two aver
age acres Of American-grown soy
beans.
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