The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-12-25
Manure Cellars and Sheds.


the costly failure made by those
who have spent money for show rather
than for use, and who have been badly
advised BY persons that have taken ad.
vantage Of their willingness to spend
money for pretentious and snowy build
ings. There are cellars which have
cost thousands of dollars, that are walled
with cut stone, and iloored with flags or
cobble stones bedded in cement. Some
Of these cellars have been arranged with
. view to make them tributary to irriga-
ton by liquid manure, q process which,
as yet, our methods of agriculture are
not prepared for.
There is no need to blame the cellar
itself for these failures, for it may be built
cheaply and made very useful for the
saving and preparation Of manure. The
wall and the excavation alone arc need
cd, and every barn should stand upon
some kind of = wall for q foundation. II
built upon q hillside, the excavation
should not cost much, and in fact may
be made to pay its cost by the improve.
ment Of the ground below it, as the earth
may be used to grade up around the
building, and q level yard may be made
where formerly an inconvenient slope
existed. The cost of the walls
will be q very small sum
as compared with the adyan-
tages gained. l would choose ma
nure cellar for its own special purpose
alone, and not for shelter for swine or
for any other contingent uses, and
would guarantee that it would pay =
handsome interest on its cost. It need
have no cemented floor, or be made q
receptacle for the mass of liquid slush,
for the liquids which naturally escape
from the stables can be easily absorbed
by the solid contents; neither need it be
made offensive to sight or smell.
TO keep the manure in a neat and in
odorOus condition is easy enough. The
floor should be made slightly hollow
and need not be cemented. The soil it.
self, although it be sandy or graye}y,
will soon be able to retain even tho
liquid part of the contents, and if a few
loads Of absorbent material are spread
when the cellar is emptied no loss will
occur. II swamp muck, or leaves can
be procured, foot or two in depth of
these will be sufficient to retain the
liquid, and il not, a few loads of earth
may be spread, and when taken out will
make excellent fine top.dressing-a load
of which will 60 long way. All dis
agreeable odOr may be prevented by
sprinkling the stable floors daily with
plaster, or even scattering a quantity
over the manure below. The cutters in
the stable should be provided with two
or three tight trap.doOrs, through which
the manure and litter may be drawn
with q broad hoe or q dung hook.
Grated floors are rarely to be recon-
mcnded for common use. Manure
should consist in large part of litter of
some kind, by which It IS made looser
and easier to spread; its more open tex
ture, too, assists the decomposition, and
with litter grated floors are useless.
Their purpose is solely to pass the un.
mixed droppings throug ii into the eel
lar, where these accumulate in the shape
OF soft slush, difficult to handle or use
in any way. With sufficient litter the
heaps of manure which fall from the
trap.doors may be spread and mixed
with still more materials for compost
ing, at intervals Of few days. The
fact is, if q cellar is made and kept for
the single purpose of saving manure, it
will be found convenient and useful ;
but il it is made to serve other purposes
as well, it will be apt to fail in all.
It is q question if covered yards can
be made to pay their cost as yet. They
are doubtless very convenient, and
where cattle are kept in yards consid-
cradle portion Of the time they may be
found desirable; but for mere protection
for manure they will be found too costly,
and at the present time the existing ar.
engagements Of yards and buildings
would seldom admit Of their use. In
come cases where there is not . Sufficient
water supply, and yards are to be newly
arranged, sheds may be probably used
under which to store manure. A mum.
ber Of cattle sheds forming . hollow
square may open into . central yard,
over the middle Of which an open shed
may be built. The roof Of this and the
other sheds would gather . large guam
tty Of water. Every square foot Of area
covered would supply 26 gallons yearly,
with . fall Of AZ inches. With IN ares
Of 10 by 10 feet for each COW, . supply
of gallons . day would be provided
from this source alone, which Is entirely
adequate il green food Il used portion
Of the season. The manure from thu
cattle sheds would be wheeled out to the
covered portion Of the yard, where Il
would be trodden by the cattle, and
worked up into excellent condition. Ths
cost Of such On arrangement Is verJ
reasonable. A sufficiently good shed fo1
cattle may be put up 1t cost Of about
915 per head. and q covered yard woult
cost about 2 1-2 cents . square foot
This 10 estimated for serviceable sheds
il ornamental work or paint 10 required
these would add 10 the cost mentioned
It sometimes happens that the NOR
costly the buildings, tho more labor i
involved In the use Of them, and the 20
called modern improvements may no
be always economical, while the cheaper
kinds Of buildings may turn out to be tn
more serviCeabIe. -AQncWnWroI EnQi
neer, II Country 0eatlensas.
OxE Of the most convenient articles Il
be used In . sick room is Q sand.bag
Get some clean, 6ne sand, dry 1t thor
oughly In . kettle on the stove, make .
bag about eight inches square Of flannel
fiji Il With tie dry sand, ssw the open
ing carefully together, and cover III
bag with cotton or linen cloth. Thi
viii prevent the sand from sitting ou
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