The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-08-22
AQRIgUN PWRAlho
The Value of aIanure.

When the new lands are cleared, the
soil should never be run so hard with
grain as TO make it poor, and unfit for
grass. This seed should be sown with
the the first grain, and then something
may be expected that is worth fencing III.
But we must keep stock, and be careful
10 save all the eXcrements, pied with
all the herbage that is not eaten, to restore
to the soil what has been taken from ii.
This is the principal resource of the far
mer who lives in the interior, and from
whom we expect portion of the grain
that is consumed in cities and towns
where men and business congregate.
The manure from neat stock is more
abundant than from other animals in this
part of the Country, and this manure is
less likely to be injured by heating than
that which is dropped by horses and
sheep. But the manure from neat stock,
is much injured by freezing before ii has
been mixed up with other matter. After
II has frozen and again thawed two or
three times, it is found TO have no scent
or eftluvia, and may be handled as freely
as lump of clay.
When cattle are suffered 10 90 a dis
tance for water in the winter, they NAV
drop manure in their path through the
field or pasture. The ground was covered
with snow, and no trace would appear in
summer of the winter path of the cattle,
save the Jumps of eXcremeEt that were
left on the way. Now you might suppose
that here the grasses, &c. would grow
rank, and exhibit evidence of the manure
dropped in winter. But you will be dis
appointed; the manure here was so frozen
while in an unfermented state that it is
nearly lost 10 the owners of the soil.
On examination, your numerous read
crs will find this to be the case. Let them
60 and see in May and June next, wheth-
er the grass is any better where so much
manure was dropped than in any other
part of the field.
1t Is highly important, then, to prevent
the freezing of the unfermented manure.
And the first step towards it is TO keep the
cattle shut up in the barn or yard through
The winter season, and till the month OF
May. What they drop in their cow-yard
Is trod on and mixed with other matter
which serves to retain at least part oi
the essence of the article Oxen and
cows tied up in the barn expose their ex-
contrlved as TO prevent all injurious free
zing through the winter. This is a very
important point, and all farmers should
turn their attention to it. The prevention
from frost will alone repay the cost of a
cellar in few years, to say nothing Of
The advantage of securing the liquid, which
Is too often entirely wasted.
Horse stable manure is never injured sc
much by frost as by heat When ii i.
thrown out of the stable into heap, i
soon begins to burn in pretty cold weather
In moderate weather it heats so much a:
10 turn white, and lose three fourths o
IFS weight. Horse manure has therefore
been less highly priced than it should be
But when rightly managed there is no
manure that operates better, or remains
longer upon the soil. Some kinds ol
manure work sooner, but they are soone
spent. Hog manure, for instance, is activ,
very early in the season, aud it make:
good corn; but we see little of its virtue
the succeeding year. Horse manure tina
has been well kept, and that has absorbed
all the horse urine, is the most lasting
kind of manure that we obtain from ami
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