Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-11-10
work Around the Harm

should be graded in such n manner
that all manurial substances can he
saved. Hence, when small streams of
water are accustomed to flow into the
yard, during the fall Of rain, or when
snow may be melting, burrows should
be plOwcd and small ridges should be
made to turn the water away from
the barn, and especially from the ma
nure yard. Evetronghs should be
made for every roof, 20 that all the
water collecting on buildings may be
conducted away from the manure
yard. Now is the best time in all The
year to attend TO the jobs which
should be performed around the barn.
While the full value of manure is ad
mitted, how few farmers have their
yards SO constructed rs to prepare and
preserve the greatest amount of fertiii.
ling compost. Instead of barn and
stable Yards made lowest in the mid
die, to retain those liquid. which
chemical analysis and actual expert
ence have shown to be more valuable
and to contain in more concentrated
form the elements of vegetation than
solid manure. most farm yards are on
sloping ground, as if constructed pur-
poscly for waste, and not unfreqnent-
ly with a rivnlet near by, to carry
away all that may wash into it, In
stead OF yards. 10 the fall o! the year,
filed with compost from the swamp
or from bitches. to be converted into
manure, we see them empty. and usu-
ally provided with ditch to carry of
al tn IN
be economical, who indulge in no I'M
necessary expense, and who would
hesitate to spend shilling for the
qualification of a dcpravcd appetite,
throw away dollars. Swamp mud,
turf, leaves, weeds. and. ia fine, all the
refuse of farm, useless as manure in
natural state, when placed in the
barnyard or pig sly, and thoroughly
! Incorporated with materials there, be-
come the best manure, amply repay
ing tho farmer for the time spent in
collecting them. Whenever one has
the cobble stone, let the yard be graded
true and the surface paved with cob-
bles. A cobbe-stone pavement will
keep live stock ont OF the mud and
will keep the manure up from the
ground, so that il will be less labofi-
Gus TO handle with forks.
Wet Versus Dry Feed for Horses.
A writer in the Lire Stock Journal
states that feeding dry meal has been
highly recommended, and | have tried
I 1t faithfully. but am not satisfied with
/ the result; had rather put the meal
in pail aud mix il with water
When horses are obliged to work very
hard it is not only right and Just but
for the pecuniary interest of their
owners to see tha, they are we'll fed
Horses ought not only to have good
feed and plenty oil il but also it should
be given to them wet a great many
horses are permanently injured by be.
ing kept in the summer, when they
work, upon dry hay and meal. just
what injury will result from tlis
course OF feeding cannot certainly be
foreto.d. Whether it will take the
form OF arrangement OF the digestive
! organs or affectations of the throat
and lungs will depend some " hat upon
the natural tendencies of The animals
ard the quality and condition Of the
food which they receive. But Injury
of some kind will likely result. 1t is
but little trouble to wet the food, which
will render it better aud safe,
than to feed it dry For horse tina,
/ is at work most Of the time, cut feed
is the best that can be gwen. But il
the hay is not cut it pays TO throw on
q little water. All horses mus. not be
fed in the same proportion without re-
| gard to their ages, their constitution
and their work, because the impropri-
ETY. of such practice ia self evident =
/ Yet it is constantly done and Is the ba-
sic of diseases of every kind. Never
use bad hay on account of the cheap
ness, because there is no proper nour-
ishment 10 it. Damaged corn ia ex-
ceedingly injurious because it brings
on inflammation of the bowels and skin
disease. Chat is better for old horses
than hay, because they can chew and
digest il better. When a horse is
worked hard its food should be chiefly
oats; ii not worked hard lis food
should chief $ be hay, because oats sup.
/ ply more nOurishment and ilesh-mak.
Ing material than any other kind oil
food. The better plan is to feed with
chopped hay. because the food is not
then thrown out, and is more. easily
chewed and digested. Sprinkle the
hay with water that has salt dissolved
in it. II will be pleasing to the animals
taste and more easily digested. A
spoonful OF salt in bucket of water
will be sufficient.