Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-08-12
Manure as q Pam Crop.

oats, wheat or hay they raise; how
many cattle, hogs, chickens or sheep
they feed, put did you ever hear
farmers boast about the largeness
of their manure crop? They count
from seventy-fve TO one hundred
bushels of corn per acre large yield
thirty bushels of wheat a good crop;
but how many loads of manure per
acre is q good crop? Our Oranges
and farmers clubs discuss how they
can raise the largest crops of pota-
toes, tobacco or rye; do they ever
talk of how they can secure the
largest amount of manure? Our agri-
cultural departments publish reports
of the yield per acre of the grasses
and grains, but do they publish the
yield per acre or per farm of applied
manure? Perhaps you know who
in your county raised the largest
crop of hay or grass, but do you
know who raised the largest manure
crop? You know who of your neigh
bors farms corn or wheat most sue
cessfully, but do you know who farms
his manure pile best? You know
who of your acquaintances feeds his
stock best, but do you know who
feeds his soil best? The answer TO
all these questions must be, No.
Why is thisf Is not the application
of manure as important as the raising
of cropsf I Is it not fully as impor-
tant TO understand how TO restore
fertility as TO take it. Does it not
require as much good management TO
raise a large crop Of manure as corn 7
And does it not pay just as we'll ?
Why, then, Is there not more interest
taken in the subject? Why do not
our agricultural societies offer pre-
MUM for the best crop Of manure as
well as for the best crop of grain 7
Why not offer a blue or a red ribbon
for the load of best manure as we'll
as for the best bushel Of wheat?
Now it seems TO me that this sub
ject is greatly neglected. One farmer
may sell 5000 bushels Of corn, 1000
of wheat, and 5000 of oats. Another
may sell half that amount and we will
say that the first is the largest and
best farmer. But hold The first
farmer burns his straw; ditto corn
stalks; feeds his hogs on a side hill
where the manure washes into the
creek, and allows his stable manure to
fire fang. The second carefully saves
his straw for manure; sees that it
and the stubs Of the corn-fodder rot
in the compost heap; saves bis hog
manure for his sandy soil, and makes
and applies five loads of manure
where the other makes one. The first
farmer may put more dollars and
cents into his pocket for few years,
but he is steadily impoverishing his
soil the second is yearly increasing
his lands productiveness and hence
is adding all the time to his capital.
The former class are getting very
scarce, but they still exist.
Farmers are fond of a beautiful
horse-who is not i-of fine field Of
wheat waving golden in the sun; of
the tasseled maize that promises
seventy-flve bushels to the acre; of
the potato that must he split to get
it into the pot; of the high.bred
Brahma rooster of majestic carriage
that struts and rules in the hen coop
Of their patient wives and rosy daugh.
ters; OF their handy man servants
and maid servants; even of their
long-eared asses, but what farmer Is
fond OF his manure pile?
Every successful farmer has
healthy respect for the reputation of
his manure pile and a really CON-
mendable and praiseworthy pride in
the large size and ercetient quality of
his manure crop. The farmer who
has a little, weak, stunted, dwarfed
manure pile down in one corner of
his feed lot. is considerably behind
the times. If the truth was known,
wonder how many farmers make two
wagon loads of good manure for each
acre that they till = Not many, /
surmise yet It can be done and
ought to be done.
Who will start q manure "boom ?"
Who will stand on his own dung hill
and say, "l challenge the world to
beat itf" ] am not poking fun. For
seriously, the time will come when
men will take as much pride in
large crop of manure as of corn, and
when agricultural societies will not
forget to put "Manure, best BARREL"
on their premium lists.
THE accumulated fruit grower IL