March, 1909.] 



245 



Edible Products. 



On the 1st of June the stalks were 

 cut with the sickle, and at the time 

 were fairly free from excessive moisture, 

 but the leaves were green to a certain 

 extent. 



I found from experience that it would 

 be more economical in every way to 

 use a small chopper or a sickle with 

 half the blade broken off, so that the 

 stalks could be chopped instead of the 

 usual sickle action. Not only is this 

 quicker, but the stalks can be cut level 

 or even below the surface. As soon as 

 the stalks were cut they were carried 

 to the different spots where the stooks 

 were built. You will note that the 

 stalks were not allowed to remain on 

 the ground any time, but whether it 

 would be an advantage to let them do 

 so and wilt, especially if the leaves are 

 very green, remains to be proved. 

 Unfortunately, 1 did not try any this 

 way, so cannot compare results, but 

 to my mind it would be worth while 

 making the experiment. 



The way the stooks were built was 

 as follows :— A stake was driven firmly 

 in the ground, and about 20 stalks 

 placed upright round it and tied fast to 

 it, other stalks were added evenly until 

 a diameter of 4 to 5 ft. was attained, 

 any small or short stuff placed on 

 the top. A thatch of stalks was then 

 made and the stook was complete. 

 The main point in building these stooks 

 is to keep out any rain. At the time 

 of cutting the stalks, the grain on the 

 cobs was dented and had lost its milki- 

 ness. 



On the 29fch of June, four weeks after 

 cutting, we started to strip off the cobs 

 and harvest the hay. The stalks being 

 all one way, the boys had only to 

 break the stooks, place an armful in 

 front of them and with a piece of hard 

 wood, pointed, proceed to rip open the 

 leaves, take out the cob and throw it 

 on one side. The stalks, as they were 

 stripped of the cob, were drawn towards 

 them until a fair size bundle could be 

 made, say 15 to 20 stalks, when they 

 were tightly tied together and placed 

 on one side, loaded on the wagon, and 

 stacked in an open shed. 



The crop is more easily handled, and 

 there is less waste by the breaking of 

 the leaves when handled in this way. 



The cobs were then collected, put 

 into bags— for the convenience of hand- 

 ling — and placed into a hock to dry in 

 the same way they are usually treated. 



When the stooks were opened, the 

 perfume was the same as the best of 

 grass or lucerne hay, and the cobs 

 when stripped were fresh and bright 

 but the grain had ripened, and little, if 

 any, difference could be detected from 



grain taken off when the cobs are 

 allowed to ripen in the usual way. 

 There is, of course, no secret to account 

 for the fact of the grain ripening after 

 the stalk is detached from its roots. 

 You will all know, it is a well-known 

 fact, that most plants with seeds on, 

 when cut at the proper time, although 

 the seed is not ripe, and, if extracted 

 from the pod, will shrivel and loose its 

 germinating power. But being attach- 

 ed to the plant, the sap secreted in 

 the tissues is sufficient, and does ripen 

 the grain. 



The actual result of the experiment 

 is that approximately the same weight 

 of grain was harvested as would have 

 been had the cobs remained on the 

 stalks standing on the lands to ripen, 

 and in addition, 5 tons of excellent fod- 

 der was added to the credit of the crop. 



In 1907 I also experimented on a much 

 smaller scale in the same manner, but 

 instead of thatching the stooks merely 

 stood the stalks round after fastening 

 a few together in the centre, the con- 

 sequence was most of them blew down 

 and the rain spoilt the whole of the hay. 

 The cobs were, however, taken off and 

 dried. 



The following is an analysis of Hick- 

 ory King mealie stalks as green fodder, 

 taken from an Australian journal, the 

 vield per acre being 26|tons :— Moisture, 

 8243; Ash, 1-66; Protein, 2'10; Crude 

 Fibre, 4'91 ; Nitrogen free, extract of 

 Sugar Starch, etc, 8'37 ; Ether Extract 

 of Fat, etc., 0'53. 



Comparison with such a commonly 

 used food stuff as Bran will perhaps 

 best serve to illustrate the feeding value 

 based on weight of crop and nutritive 

 value. Taking the average analysis 

 of Bran as containing: Protein, 1P2; 

 Carbohydrates, 42'2 ; Fats, 2 5 ; and 

 allowing it to be worth, say, £6 10s. 

 per ton, then the commercial value of 

 green fodder would be as 5 to 1 of Bran. 

 We must not overlook the tact that 

 the foregoing figures compare green 

 fodder, containing 82i per cent, of mois- 

 ture witn bran. 



I have referred to the making of hay 

 from the ordinary crop, sown for grain 

 only, the side suckers being taken off as 

 is the usual way. What can be done 

 if seed is drilled closer for fodder only 

 is shewn by the record of 26£ tons of 

 green fodder per acre. The hay is eaten 

 readily by horses, mules, pigs and 

 ostriches, and they do well on it. It is 

 chaffed in the ordinary way by a chaff 

 and prickly pear cutter. To my mind 

 there is no reason why this product, 

 after having been properly cured, 

 should not keep either stored or stacked 

 in the open, equally as long as lucerne 



