FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 50, 24 March 1909, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

STRAW AS FODDER. A dry spell always turns our thoughts towards the utilising of all products ou the farm suitable for fodder purposes. In years when grass is plentiful and turnips and rape are flourishing well we do not need to use up for feeding purposes many articles which in a time of drought are useful and helpful. A short lime ago. in writing an article 011 stacking straw. I said that it appeared to me inadvisable to stack np a lot of straw about the place eventually to cumber the ground. While not departing from fhat belief, I would, at the same time, deprecate the wholesale wasfe of all the straw on the farm except that needed for dialling purposes. A few stacks may he. and .oitghl lo be, built in a safe'manner iu order to provide for any con* tingencioK that may arise, as. for inistanee, at the present juncture, when a dry spell threatens to destroy many of (he high hopes which were but a short lime ago entertained for a bountiful supply of winter feed. We have had to fall back on straw and hay in the past, and we may have to do so to aeertain extent, at any lime. It appears to me. therefore, that it would be interesting to brielly enter upon the question of straw as a fodder.

Dr. Gibson, in hi« "Agricultural Chemistry," says that the feeding value. *>f straw is now becoming more recognised, lie says that it has been found to possess properties too useful, when judiciously employed for feeding purposes, to allow it lo go to waste. The fodder value of Mraw may differ, even iu the same erop. Straw from a winter crop is not so good as that from springsown cereals. The lafter U richer in digestible properties. Oat straw, as is generally recognised, posse-He.s the higliC" I value for feeding (purposes, and is readily eaten by all animals. It is the

best straw to chart' for horses, but it is noi .so -suitably for dairy eowis, as il is waul to convey a bitter taste to th.' butter. A few crushed oat* with it, however, -vvgJl remove that objection. JJarley straw is .similar to oat straw in composition. It is readily eaten by stock, and is easily digested-. It is more suitable for cattle tlian for horses. In .South Canterbury, however, we do not grow -a great (juanl.ity of barley, so that there are not many oi us who have an opportunity oi' testing its cjtialitiers. J believe, however, that Cape barley its one of the bc*t fodder* to grow j'or sheep! to be eaten when growing. It should be put in early, and will give feed both ill the kite autumn and ill the rarly spring. It will then come to a crop, and will p.iy well either to lue or sell J'or feeding purpose*. Wheat ?>traw is harder and loiigher tiian oilier cereal straws, and it not well liked by hordes. L'attle eat it una,' readily. It is nunetimes dialled for feeding, and in *onie places wheat is grown for cropping only. Hut where out *traw i* available wheat straw is *cldoin n-ed for dialling. Where peas and benn>> are grown ill.' htraw from tbe-e crops will be found useful. Il in harder to digest than straw from cereals, but it contains more nourishment. I'ea> and bean- are leguminous plants, ami ibe *iraw U very -uilable lor all runiinii.li.ig animal*. bill, especially for sheep. They arc said to have a i-onsti]iating e)l\vi. anil when stock ;itc feeding on tlieni this should be watched for. Straw by itself is not a siillicienl nourishment lor hur>ev because it iontains too small a proportion of albuminoids. W'hi'iii it is charted it is useful, because it forces hov.se* to chew their food thoroughly, thus causing i I hum to extract the greatest benelit | !roiu it. Straw chatl for horse* should i not be cut too line, otherwise there is i tendency to bolt the feed. Straw may je fed to store cattle or sheep as a •om-plele fodder, aud it is also useful .0 r;erve as part of the feed for fattening cattle. Molasses may he mixed in t, and it- then forms .a good food for mth cattle and sheep. It must not bo orgotten that *traw is comparatively ioor in actual nourishment, and to use t to the best advantage it should be ed along with something more nourishing. But from what i shave said it Avill to. seen that in time of scarcity it may ie used to a certain extent, and thus >o put to a very good use.« All straw tacked for stock should have a certain piantii.y of silt added to it. Salt wiill nake it more palatable and acceptable o all clause* of stock. A stack of straw s a grand thing in the cowyard. It evvcH as bedding ami shelter, ami aW> ives a certain amount of food to the ows.