The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-04-28
ThOusand.Dollar COmpOst-Heaps.

Please give me little space to again
urge upon She T}Tb8ne's thousands of
farmer readers the great value of the
compost heap. do not urge it as
theory, but as the result of many years
of actual experience. Ihave tried, in
moderate way, one and another of the
commercial fertilizers, and while have
no complaint to make as to their value,
it seems to me that our farmers as a
rule can do better. / commenced haul
ing for my compost heaps last spring,
throwing into them all the coarse re-
fuse, whether it was coarse manure,
street sweepngs, fish refuse, pig ma
nure, weeds from the garden, potato
tops, pea-vines, in fact, anything and
everything that | supposed would be of
value. At times, when they seemed to
be getting too hot, had water thrown
upon them in sufficient quantity to cool
but not to drain from them. During
the fall they were worked over. They
have been heating very little all win
ter, about sufficient to keep them from
freezing. We are now working the
largest one over again, after which it
viii be ready for use. am aware that
1t may be urged against this that it
will cost time, labor and some money;
yes, my farmer friends, it does; and so
do all of the good things that / know of
in this world. | can not tell what the
two heaps have cost me, as they have
been gathered at such times as we could
spare men and teams from other work.
l am now paying twenty-five cents per
cord for working over, and will have,
after this is done, not less than one hun
'dred and seventy-five and perhaps two
hundred cords, and in splendid condi-
ton for immediate use. AS near as
can Judge, the cost will be from $500 to
S400 How about their value for the
coming seasons crops?
/ shall also have an immense amount
of good stable and barnyard manures,
much more in bulk than these heaps,
and | believe that no man values them
higher than myself, but when and
where / want my land to give me the
largest possible crops, and those of the
greatest value, there goes my compost
manure. WhyP Simply because many
years experience tells me that crops
will start up more vigorously, and grow
up more rapidly with this manure than
with an equal amount of the best stable
manure. 1t is reasonable that this
should be the case, as it is more nearly
ready for plant food than any coarse or
unprepared manure could be. / can
not give your readers the actual value
of these heaps, but if any man should
come to-day and say: 81 will deposit
81 900 to your credit in the bank if you
will allow me to haul away your COM
post heaps" / should answer: ''My
friend, have lately been purchasing
some property, and my bank account is
unusually low, but l do not need money
bad enough to make such q sacrifice as
that would be to obtain it." L have
never used these manures upon any
crops where they did not tell the same
story. l will not pretend that the
mingling of the different materials
makes each and every one of them more
valuable than they otherwise would be.
1t is possible that if each was taken in
Its crude state and plowed under, its
value TO the land might be as great as
when in its present condition. But
should be years instead of few weeks
or months in getting my returns. Mer-
chants think "small profits and quick
returns bestin the long run. With
me this plan of fertilizing has never
failed to give quick returns and large
profits, or at least large crops. ). ~
Smith, IN N. T. Tribune.