356 



CORN 



formation of a glutenous and pasty mass. The starch ot corn readily 

 changes to sugar in the process of mastication, which renders it very 

 palatable. Western stock which has never been fed corn, in a short 

 time acquires a taste for it when put on feed in the corn belt. 



COST OF PRODUCTION AND PREPARATION FOR FEED- 

 ING. As will be shown later, the number of pounds of corn required 

 to produce loo pounds of pork or beef is not much lower than in the 

 case of other cereals, iioo pounds of corn, the amount required to pro- 

 duce lOO pounds of beef, at 45 cents per bushel of 56 pounds, would be 

 worth $8.03. The same amount of wheat meal would also be required 

 to produce 100 pounds of beef, and would be worth $11 if figured on the 

 basis of 60 cents per bushel of 60 pounds. This is not considering the 

 cost of grinding the wheat. 



CORN VS. OTHER CEREALS. The following table shows the 

 number of pounds of corn in different forms required to produce 100 

 pounds gain in farm animals. The averages were made from reports 

 of the stations of several states. 



AMOUNT OF CORN REQUIRED TO PRODUCE 100 POUNDS GAIN. 



*Fed with hay. 



**Fed with hay and roots. 



No marked difference is noticed between the amounts of corn and 

 those of other feeds required to produce gain. The economic impor- 

 tance lies in the comparative cost and palatability of the concentrates. 



CORN AS A FEED FOR HORSES. Corn is very desirable feed 

 for horses because it requires little time for mastication. A horse 

 spends little time in ohewing and when hard at work should not be 

 required to expend a large amount of energy in preparing its food. As 

 a horse chews its food but once, the starches in it must be readily 

 changed into sugar. This characteristic is especially true of corn. 

 There is no formation of a pasty mass so obnoxious to a horse. The 



