ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 159 



THE VALUE OF SHREDDED CORN. 



BY JOHN BOYD, ELMHURST. 



We all know that corn is the great agricultural staple of the 

 West, not alone because of the general adaptability of the soil, 

 but on account of its immense money value, and desirability 

 for purposes of feeding both man and beast, in fact is the main 

 stay of the western farmer. 



There is hardly a farmer in the state, from Cairo to the 

 Wisconsin state line, who does not raise corn as a part of his 

 annual crop, and a great many depend almost entirely upon its 

 cultivation. 



To get some idea of the immensity of the crops, I may state 

 that the United States statistics show that upwards of seventy- 

 five millions of acres in this country are devoted to raising corn, 

 that means from eighty to one hundred and twenty millions of 

 tons of corn stalks or fodder, and I venture to assert that the 

 full feeding value of this great annual crop of valuable feed, is 

 not realized on over one-tenth of the product. 



Hundreds of thousands, yes millions of tons of valuable 

 feed are annually wasted in the corn producing states, solely 

 from a want of knowledge of the feeding value and how 

 to conserve the corn stalks. When we consider the fact that 

 from thirty-five to forty per cent of the feeding values 

 of the entire corn crop is contained in the stalk, one can form 

 some conception of the annual loss to the farmers in dollars and 

 cents. Many, in fact the great majority of corn producers, have 

 no adequate conception of the feeding value of corn stalks, if in- 

 deed, they recognize any value whatever in them. A few who 

 run short of hay habitually put their stalks through a cutter and 

 allow their cattle to pick out what they can find tender enough 



