WHEAT AS FOOD FOR STOCK.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2738, 15 November 1894, Page 3

WHEAT AS FOOD FOR STOCK.

In view of the still diminishing prices ol the leading cereal, the question arises to what extent it is possible to utilise wheat more profitably than by placing it on the market at current values. Within limits it ia regarded as sound practice to maintain stock as far as possible upon home-grown prodnce—that is, food raised upon the farm. It cannot be disputed that the claims of wheat upon the attention of stock feeders are steadily increasing. This, indeed, is not the case only at home, for in the United States the over production of wheat in the world has led to the use of wheat as a food for growing and fattening animals. A paper is now being issued from the Department of Agriculture at Washingt.ou, in which Dr Salmon, chief of the I Bureau of Animal Industry, states that during the past year numerou inquiries have been made by American farmers concerning the chemical composition of wheat ;is compared with maize and oats, its relative value aB a food for farm animals, md the method of feeding which would produce the best results These inquiries have no doubt been suggested by the shiftiog of prices. A bushel of wheat used to sell at two or three times the price of a bu&hel of maize. Recently the spectacle has been seen )f 561 b of maize selling for more money ,h.in could be obtained for 601 b of wheat.. Hence arises the necessity for a reconsideration of the methods of disposing of cereals in order to determine what is the most profitable course under the conditions now ruling. Chemical analysis shows wheat to contain practically the srme percentage of protein, or flashforming as Qa.ts, and, both wheat and oats contain about 30, per cent, more oroteiu than iqaize. On th,a other hand, wheat has oo'y about one-half as wuch ut ty matter as ma ze or \<\ its per ■...ntage of carV»o hydrates, w.h,e»t s.t»nd« tylf W;-»y he.twwu. uviizj a.nd oat< >n account .»f iU relative riehuw tu »»f*> ■ein wheat \\ \>\<\\v\ly\ a,* ft »uttaM« * for y-Muia aw*t»»-"" ! ' .„ A , 0

,uw uia it, is not equally adapted for those which are f ttening. The percentages show that 3d. 1131 hof wheat comes much nearer the femli g standard f.»r fattening cattle than does the same quantity of maiz*; but equal parts f wheat and maize shoull prove bettor for fattening animals than either ■if these cereals alone. For growing i iimals maize is obviously not so well suited as wheat or oats. Perhaps one of the greatest obstacle'' n the way of the successful utilizitioii f wheat as food for stock ar.sos from the liscouragement experienced at the commencement of feeding. For several winters took wo tove known of serious

mortalty ia sheep, induced beyond a '' doubt by a too liberal diet of wheat at ; the outset. Wheat (should at the outiiet ! be included in the diet in only -small quantities. , I Wheat is believed to be best adapted ' for feeding when rolled or ground into a ! coarse nied, in which form it may be fed either alone or mixed with maize meal or ground oats. In view of the fact that experiments have given better results from the whole grain than from the : ground wheat when fed to sheep, flockmasters may prefer to use the unbroken , grain. , . . .. ... There can hardly be a doubt than with I the exercise of some ingenuity in coni oocting mixtures of food much of our home grown wheat graiD could be put to i a more profitable use thau taking it to market and disposing of it at what are, in effect, give-away prices.