Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1857-01-15
FIFE FARMER.
- MnaIIAh Enrnling.

Lawrence, ESq., oi O1IChceatcTi LhBloiu'
80 The Farm is under a four years rotN-
lion, viz! Isl, root crops, ID, barley, I'd,
seeds, (grass, clover, rape OF lucerne,)
9TH, wheat f.
.H Tho soil is prepared for the beginning
of the rotation for root crops, by turning
under stable manure in the autumn, TO the
depth Of FIVE or six inches. In the spring
the root crops are drilled in with a pecu-
liar manure, which is Of a powdery char
aeter, admitting Of a distribution with the
seed. Tits composed Of pig md privy
manure, mixed with ashes and superphos-
phate Of lime. Mr.. Lawrence conducted
me to n sort of excavation made in the
side of n knoll, the only rough place on
, the farm, whore he caused all the weeds
from the fences and roodsidcs, all dead
leaves aud vegetable litter to be collected
and burned or charrcd. So much OF
these ashes is mixed with the pig or priyy
manure, as to dry the latter and make it
manageable, aud then to every acre 80
bushels of this compost, mixed with 3 cwt'
of superphosphote (homo.made from
bones) are applied. The field thus pre-
pared has no more manure drawn upon it
for four years the second and third years
it is put to barley and fodder, with only
the usual preparation of tlIlage. The last
year of the rotation preparatory to wheat,
il is plowed nine inches deep, and SUBSIDIZED
with Reads subsoiI plow. | should cor
rect the statement that no manure is put
on after the first year. Mr.. Lawrence
"a makes it q rule to SOW one cwt. of saltper
acre with every white crop, (wheat and
barley. He considers it to strengthen
the straw. a"'.''"f
In this way every year, one fourth of
the farm is manfred, and grows root crops;
another fourth yields barley; another
fourth is in clover or other fodder; and
the remaining fourth Is SUBSIDIZED ard put
to wheat,
Now for the stock of the farm. Besides
half q dozen horses, this consists Of %
head of cattle and 500 sheep, all of which
are fattened, sold Oft, and replaced annu-
ally, as | understood. The cattle are fat
tened in boxes, These are pens , feet
deep below the stable floor, and S or.l0
feet square, with suitable railing into
which the beef is turned at the commence
ment of fattening, and from which it then
does not COME out but Us be sent 10 market.
A feed trough is provided which is
raised from time TO tune as the filing up
D of the box makes needful,
77ao The food of the. boxed animal is made
as follows :--Oil cake is steamed, and then
y lin a wooden box which holds enough for
the 25 head, it is miSod with chafr or fine
cut straw, the two being put down in al
/, ternate layers until the box is full. The
mass shortly fornents, and in u few hours
the ohaff or straw is perfectly reduced to
q pulp. Then the whole is naked together
: and served out. Water is supplied ad
Hbitum.
In order TO keep the animals clearly
and comfortable, and to prevent any loss
Of manure, they are daily Uttered with a
2, small quantity of straw cut about one inch
in length. This cut straw absorbs the
liquid eNcrements SO perfectly, and the
weight of the animal packs the whole so
closely, that the inmate Of the box always
has dry and comfortable bed and pure
air, entirely unlike the ammonia charged
2 atmosphere of ordinary stables, as | was
81 astonished TO observe. | shy a small
!, quantity of cut straw was used as litter
This is true, i. c., the quantity employed
is much smaller than would suffice were
it uncut. The boxes are just large enough
to be filled by the fattening - one animal.
The manure that results is rich from the
use of oil cake, is uniform in quality, and
is entirely free from long litter. 1t is not
however. ready for application, In the
spring it is removed from the boxes and
carried a few reds into al adjoining roat
or lane, where il is made into a pile foul
or five feet high and wide. and severa.
rods long, and covered with u coating o.
road sorapings. When a field is subSoileC
numbers of small calcareous stones are
thrown up, which are drawn upon the
farm road, They are rapidly pulverizet
under the carts, and in wet weather The
mud Is collected for covering the manure
heaps. 1t shortly forms over them a solo
quite mperveous coating, about one incl
thick, completely protecting the manure
from water and air. Within, the heal
ferments, no perceptible loss occurs by
escape of ammonia, and the whole is con,
yerted into a UNIFORM fine black mass Of
excellent manure, rich in fertilising ingre-
dients, and, as it would seem, in the bes
condition for exerting Il beneficial action
1t is this manure thRt is plowed in befor,
the root crops are sowed.
Mr.. Lawrence said 10 me with groa
emphasis, The secret of farming is d gooC
flock of sheep had only a distant view
of his 800 sheep, bat from his lips gained
an idea of the systematic manner in which
they are managed.
They are kept a greater part of the
year upon the fields, and TO furnish them
constatly with green food, a variety Of
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