106 FOR BETTER CROPS 



but it makes threshing less of a problem, as it may be done later 

 in the season when weather conditions are more endurable, while 

 the straw can be stacked in or near the barn and utilized with 

 less labor and trouble. When threshing- is done in the field, and 

 the straw left on the ground it should be utilized or it becomes 

 a nuisance by occupying valuable ground until decayed; for if 

 spread on the fields it is quite valuable. The waste of such by- 

 products as this often materially reduces the income of the 

 farmer. 



An estimate of the weight of the chaff and straw from a field 

 of wheat can be made when the number of bushels of wheat is 

 known, as for one hundred bushels of wheat there will be about 

 six tons of straw and chaff. Of course, this proportion varies 

 somewhat, but this is a general average. 



It pays io build igood stacks 



Wheat Straw — Wheat Straw has several values to the farmer. 

 In the early days cattle were often wintered on straw alone, to 

 which they helped themselves from the stack. I^eedless to say 

 that by spring they were in a forlorn condition, and many of 

 them died from starvation. Farmers do not try such experiments 

 now as they know animals must have foods that will make a 

 balanced ration. Straw, however, can be made an important 

 part of such a ration. By sprinkling it daily with brine when 

 placed before the stock, it will be readily eaten; but in connection 

 with the straw some higiily nitrogenous food, such as oil meal 

 or bran must be given, and the animals will do almost as well as 

 if fed on good hay. As this plan would be adopted as a matter 

 of economy, it will be a question to settle mathematically whether 

 it will pay better to sell hay and buy oil meal and mill stuff in 



