St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-01-10
THE CALEDONIAN,
farm, Garden aud 4ltfllfa.
No CoHIe---NO Manure.

fertility and productiveness. 1t is, there
fore. for the interest of every farmer to
keep as much as he can keep well and TO
manage it in such manner as to make
the most of it. This does not imply that
he should overstock so as to be obliged
to stint his cattle and keep them poorly.
hut it is obviously for his interest to keep
us much as lie can properly feed, as much
as the farm can he made to support in
GOOD condition. If farmer will adopt
this as his general rule of management,
he will find his farm gradually improv-
ing on his hands.
Many farms are so situated that they
viii winter more stock than they will
summer. The pastures may be poor and
unproductive. covered with bushes and
rocks, or limited in extent as compared
with the moving lots Then it becomes
necessary to clean up the pastures, cut
the bushes, topdress, and thus put them
III condition to carry more stock and
do it better, or else TO resort to the sys-
TEN Of soiling III part, at least, in order
to keep the requisite amount of stock
through the sumner. The pastures
should receive special and extra degree OF
attention and pains should be taken to
improve them.
I'ut II farmer can summer more
than lie can winter well, he should take
pains to improve his moving lots SO as TO
cut more grass, raise roots and other for
age plants, 50 as to provide as large an
amount of feed as possible for winter.
Some farmers are in the habit of buying
cattle or sheep in the fall to feed through
the winter and sell in the spring. This
is TO consume the produce on the farm
instead of selling it, and if the purchases
are we'll made. the stock well cared for
AMI the market favorable, they will
make Il good thing on the stock itself
and have the manure in addition. If it
results in giving fair price fer the hay
consumed, al!d the manure is lett for tie
care and trouble ATTENDING the transaction
it i generally considered for the adyant-
age of the farm. Cows to come in in
the spring, oxen that will be constantly
improving, or sheep well purchased pay
well, but the kind Of stock will depend Il
good deal upon the facilities for taking
care Of it and Individual preferences. We
do not pretend to advise as to the partic-
ular kind, the main point being to have
enough to make the largest and best quail
ity OF manure that the food is capable of
making The true policy is to sell the
products of the farm on four legs if it can
he done.
Now with sufficient amount of stock
the problem Is to make the most OF the
situation, and TO do this we need con-
siderable quantity of litter for bedding.
Straw is, undoubtedly, the best for this
purpose, hui many farmers have not
enough for this purpose. Meadow hay
IS more common, but it makes quite i'll
tcrior manure, though many of US are
compelled to Use it for want of something
Lott.r ; ..,,-., .r,, ax,alI.r+ - I;l-.l,, q,
come short of bedding. If it is Il little
trouble TO get them, it is we'll to bear in
mind that they are worth it all ana more
too in the form Of manure. Many use
sand to mix with the manure and for
bedding. For summer or warm weather
especially if the manure is TO be used on
Slit lands, it is frs: rate, and it will pay
under such circumstances, to secure a
lar@e quantity of it and put it under COW
CT, i'll some convenient place, where it
may be kept dry for use If, on the 9TH
CT hand, TIE land of the farm is light,
we should prefer muck or something Of
the sort, or mixture of clay or stiff
loan.
Manure, to be we'll preserved, should
he kept under cover, away from the wash
and drcnching Of the caves, either under
q barn or under covered sheds. The
manure OF the barn Yards injured moro by
Il 20, q, a.
wind. though perfect economy would
avoid exposure TO either.
We hay. great faith in muck or mead
i ow mud. N connection with farmvard
manures. Two parts Of the former
with one OF the latter, may be used to
advantage. 1t not only increases the
bulk, which on most lands is important,
but 1t absorbs a vast amount of urine.
which might otherwise be lost, and in its
mixture 1t becomes very powerful fer
tiliIer OF itself. The labor of mixing
and torking over is very considerable, it
l. true. but it must be recollected that a
good deal of it comes when other work
Is not very pressing.
The great point is to have plenty of
feed, plenty of stock to eat it, and plen-
~ Of material for litter and for mixing
with the manure 10 absorb and retain
the liquids Of the yard and the gases
which might otherwise escape 1t is
better to buy feeding substances than to
be compelled to buy manure, better for
the farm and better for the pocket