Connecticut western news., 1880-12-22
FARM AND GARDEN.

A TEST OF MANUR1Na. - The writer of this article had an op- portunity some years ago to test the value of manures in practical way. He carefully piled quantity of manure from sheep-pen and calf-shed and turned 1t three times during the winter so as to get it into as fine and rotten condition as possible for corn-field, to be planted the next spring. Forty loads were thus treated, with Q good deal of labor, to prevent the manure from freezing. As there was not room in the yard for another heap, the rest of the manure that winter from these pens was drawn out as the pens were cleaned, at intervals of two or three weeks, and was spread on the ground on the snow. In the spring this manure was plowed in, aud the pile was drawn on the rest of the ground after it was plowed, and narrowed in. It was supposed that this latter part of the ground would give the best crop. but, on the contrary, it was not so good as that on the other part at any time, nor at harvest, the difference being very visible. The unexpected re- suit was supposed to be due to some other cause than any difference in value of the manure, but repeated experience in the same direction has confirmed the fact that the fresh manure spread dur ing the winter was really more useful 41oy1 4I>a a,>l k1l The same result has been observed by farmers who have top-dressed their grass and grain through the winter with fresh manure, and this practice has become very common, while it is now rare to see manure piled and worked over in heaps in the former method. There is something in the protection furnished by the coarse part of the manure as we'll as in the benefit to the crops from the plant food supplied, so that the advan- tage is doubtless doubled. The cover Ing of the soil is itself of great service, more especially if it is occupied by grass or grain, for the protection of straw alone has been found to benefit the crop greatly. The use of coarse manure would therefore be advisable if for this reason alone. The fact that in carting out fresh manure @ large portion of water is moved with it is hardly worth an objection, for the reason that ton of manure is about as easily hauled on the snow or the frozen ground, or under any circumstances in the winter, as half @ ton in the spring, when the farmer is hardly driven with work, and the roads and fields are soft.
 Pic KILLING. At this season the vail of the pig is heard on every hand. There is often much wailing on the part of the pig killers. The water is too hot or too cold, and the hair refuses to come off with the ease which is desirable, when cold wind is blowing and the water soon freezes upon the skin. A thermom- eter will regulate the business. The temperature of the water should be 170 deg. This is produced very easily by adding one pallful of water from the well to three pailfuls from the kettle. This is shown thus: Three parts of water at PIP deg. and one part at 50 deg. equal 6s6 deg. in all, equals four parts at TO deg. or thereabout. Before the water is turned into the scalding trough this should be rinsed out with @ pailful of boiling water to warm it. A small piece of fresh lime or quart of fresh wood ashes added to the water makes the skin white. The scraping is best done by some old hoes with the handles cut off to foot in length, or piece of hoop iron bent into the form of long oval and fastened to short handle.