Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-07-17
The farm aud fiteside.
MAKING AND HANDLING MANURE.

MAKING AND HANDLING MANURE.
Of all the fertilizers yet invented, says the
Cincinnati Commercial, none equals the we'll
handled barn yard manure. The quality of
this article is by no means uniform, owing to
the different ways Of managing it. To pre-
vent the immense wastes made by exposure
to sun and rain some farmers have advocated
keeping it under cover. The simple fact that
manure has been kept under cover is no ar
gument in its favor. The most worthless lot
of manure we ever saw was made under cover.
1t was the result of stabling two horses and
two COWS one year. The manure had been
wheeled from the stables to this shed. One
side of it was open to the west and here the
manure that had been packed by wheeling in,
and had been kept wet by the rains for about
two feet from the edge, was excellent. All
the rest was 6re-fangedDand light, and worth
less as so much chaff Since that year diff
ferent method has been pursued. The litter
has been kept level and packed tight by ar
ranging the stable and barn.yard so the
drainage of the yard runs into the manure
shed or pit, and having sheep tramp over it
and keep it solid. One load of manure from
this covered manure pit is considered worth
three made in the open yard. There is no
teaching nor odor arising from the shed until
the mass is broken into when hauled to the
fields.
If the virtue of barnyard manure is to be
estimated by the intensity Of odors, this sure
ly is prime article.
We can see little to commend in the prac.
tice of storing manure in the basement of
stables, but much to condemn. There is,
however, one desirable feature in this method.
It does not freeze, and can be hauled afeld
when the ground is frozen, and men and
teams cannot be otherwise employed. 1t is
method, however, that cannot generally be
adopted, because few have barns suitable.
The waste in barnyards generally is to be
deplored. When the litter and stable clean
ings are piled in little mound at the door
or window of the stable We have an excellent
device for destroying the value of manure.
The centre of the pile IS the highest, heats
first, and the draft carries off the gases per-
fectly. In little while the centre is fire.
fanged, and destruction is complete.
The neatness of even barnyard may be
secured, and it pays here as we'll as on other
parts of the farm. If at place convenient
for receiving the manure from the stables an
open pen be built for storing the manure, it
may be kept from scattering and making a
mess and mud over every foot of the yard.
The manure should be kept lowest in the
middle, and well tramped. If the drainage
of the roof be occasionally turned on this, all
the better. This mass can be loaded more
easily into wagons and will be found ofgreat-
er bulk and strength than if allowed to scat
ter over the yard, exposed to sun and rains.
Just at this time when the ground is settling
so manure can be moved to the fields fortu-
nate is the provident farmer who has turned
his manure pile twice, and now has it fine and
reduced in bulk. 1: is in condition to be at
once appropriated as plant food, and can be
taken to the field with half the labor required
had it not been forked over 1t can be
spread evenly on the wheat or meadow lands,
while the crude manure is thrown off in
chunks or forkfuls, to smother plants and be
nuisance on the meadow or wheat field.
There is class of farmers who have mania
for making manure. Another class look on
it as necessary evil, and think themselves
fortunate to have stable and barn lot on a
hillside or water course, that will carry off
the nuisance. Making manure for the sake
of the manure is little like paying dollar
or two per cord for it and hauling it several
miles to the farm. In general farming this
will not pay. 1t may do for the gardener or
vegetable grower, who can take two or three
crops season from the soil, and cell them at
convenient, paying market But few of us
are near such market, and it is folly for the
producer of corn, wheat, oats and hay to con.
clude that because the market gardener can
pay such price for manures they must be Of
equal value to all. The general farmer can
best keep up his soil by rotations, and clover
and hops, better and at far less expense than
by buying or making manure to haul to his
fields. The labor is immense, and hun.
dred cords of manure moved annually, will
not treat all parts of hundred acre farm
once in ten years whereas by clover and
hops, or cattle, every third or fourth year the
entire farm may be we'll fertilized. Our con-
clusion, then is, that keeping stock for the
sake of making manure is Improbable 1t
is, however, profitable to save all the manure
that can be made from the animals needed to
cultivate and consume the corn and fodder
raised on the farm. In the matter of ma
nure, as in all other things produced, let none
go to waste but keep it all in good shape.
ASHES BENEFICIAL TO CATTLE.-One of
our substantial subscribers, in recent con-
versation, gave his experience in treating
meat stock affected with the habit Of eating
wood, chewing bones, etc. His cattle were
one spring affected in this way; they became
thin in flesh, refused to eat hay, and present
ed sickly appearance. He put four bushels
of leached ashes in his barnyard and threw
out to them shovelful every day. They all
ate it with evident relish. After turning
them out to pasture he put a peck of ashes
per week upon the ground in the pasture.
They ate it all up and gnawed off where it
had been lying. The cattle began to i'm.
prove, gaining flesh and looking better than
they had for several years. He now gives
one quart of ashes, mixed with the same
quantity of salt, to twelve head of cattle,
about once week, and finds it to agree with
them wonderfully.
To REMOVE FREcKLEs.-One ounce of
alum, same of lemon juice in pint of rose
water; apply at night. '''''' ''Scrape horserad-
ish into cup of sour milk (cold), let it stand
twelve hours; strain and apply two or three
times day. .'''.'.Mix lemon juice one ounce,
powdered borax quarter drachm, sugar half