The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1868-01-16
FARMERS COLUMN.
Winter Work in the Barn and

Winter Work in the Barn and
Raa stock Yard. Mg
The scarcity and high prices Of hay
and grain will have atepdency to tempt
some farmers to pinch their stock. lie
who practices this kind of economy
must be a wide awake man to make 1t
pay There are farmers who by extra
attention to the shelter and other com
forts of their stock, get through look
ing nicely upon reduced rations, but
snch farmers are scarce. To help out
with the hay, be careful of the straw.
1t is not long since straw was regarded
as worthless upon halt Of the farms in
the country. Of late years different
opinion has prevailed, and it is now
generally recognized as an important
assistant in the wintering of stock.
Straw when early cut and properly
cured, not dried, has somewhat the
quality of clover. There is fragrance
about such straw, and a pale green tint,
which. makes it a valuable and most
Pleasant fodder. Straw may be fed
with advantage to all kinds of stock
1t is excellent to cut and mix with meal
or feed with carrots, beets or turnips
II straw was properly economical, hay
would be much cheaper, As many far
rners will be obliged to buy hay or grain
in order to keep their stock, the ques-
tion arises, which will be the cheapest,
hay at twenty-five dollars ton at the
barn, or corn at one dollar per bushsl,
or shorts at thirty dollars per toni
This, in my opinion, depends much on
circumstances If farmer has con-
siderable poor hay which can no longer
be fed with profit TO his stock without
an admixture OF something better
then shorts at thirty-iye dollars per ton
would be better than hay at twenty-five,
as am satisfied that the most econOm-
ical use of food rich in albuminous
matter, is to feed it with strew or other
materials which are deficient in this
element. No absolute rules for feeding
can be well given, as this necessarily
depends on the kind Of stock, the OBJ
iect to be secured, the amount Of shell
ter and protection from the weather,
and variety of other causes. There
is an adage to this effect: eff it does
not pay TO feed animals well, in don't
answer to keep them at ALL" Yet look
around at the walking skeletons in the
month OF April, and see how many dis
regard the advice Of past generations
and the experience of the present day.
4 Besides attending carefully to the
stock, we should try and mako large
manure pile for the next seasons crops,
by supplying large quantities of muck.
The feces, as they are thrown into a
heap in the ordinary method Of clean
ing the stables, pass into fermentation
- rapidly aud portion passes off in the
form Of gas, and is lost. Without abb
sorbents, very often one half, or more,
of the value of stable manure is lost to
the farmer without attracting his atten-
ton. Many cannot be made to believe
il, because they do not see the thief
loading the manure into the cart with a
dung fork. But they can easily satisfy
themselves of the theft, if they will
compare the effects Of stable manure,
that is exposed for Winter, with a
like quantity that is treated with alb
= sorbents, and kept undcr cover. Few
win scarcely credit the annual waste in
this one item Of animal urine, that
occurs among our farm stock, who have
not made it subject of special inves-
tigation. The individual amount seems
so small that little attention is given it;
but were the whole loss that occurs in
"a year, to each farm, to be realized at
one and the same time, 1t would be
sensibly felt by most farmers. by hav-
ss,ihg our stalls and yards properly con-
,structed, and using plenty of absorb
.ents, all the urine might be saved and
utilized. All the phosphates, etc, i,
:, which are found in urine are derived
from the soil originallyi and in order
to restore to the soil all its due, and
keep it in is highest state of produc-
tiVeness, Should be returned thereto.
There is no doubt but if all the elements
derivedfrom the soil ereturned thereto,
that 1t would retain its productive ca
pacity In the highest degree indefinitely,
but where crop is raised and carried
of the land in whole or part, certain
amount OF tho elements contained in
the soil are carried with the crop, and
unless replaced by an equal amount in
some other form, the soil must be that
much poorer; and if the present gen.
Grafton do not materially suffer there
for, a repetition of such a course, for a
term Of years, is sure to entail its bane-
ful effects on future generations aud
'ifthe present is not the poorer, sue
coeding generations certainly will be.
'.H".--- AppIe Butter.