Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-11-09
Wastes on the Farm.


1t will soon be time to prepare for
winter. Cold, wet, stormy weather
may come any time, and it is economy
to prepare ahead. Of course, some
times we have good, steady working
weather until the holidays begin; but of
this we are not sure, and we can not
calculate with any certainty that it will
be so, and, therefore, we must prepare
for the worst, and then if it fails to
come we are so much ahead.
See that all the machinery about the
farm is under shelter. Do not allow
the reapers, mowers, cultiyators, plows,
hoes, harrows, ETC.. to Law out all win
ter. They should be put under shelter
as soon as you are through with them;
if you have failed to do this before,
when it should be done, attend to it
now; 60 over the farm and gather them
up and store them away under shelter.
You will lind next spring when you
come to get ready to go to work that
you have made money, as well as
stopped one waste, by properly caring
tor your machinery. The loss by ma
chlnery laying out in storm and sun
shine from one years end to another is
enormous, and you can lessen it little
by taking care of what you own.
If you have stock, even only one COW,
provide shelter for all. If you have not
got room for all in your stable, and are
able, build board shed, and if you are
too poor for this, cut forks, as many as
YOU will need, cut so that the back of
the shed will be at least ten feet lower
than the trent. The forks should not
be more than eight feet apart, lay poles
or rails over these and cover either with
bagssse or straw. If bagasse can be
procured it is preferable to straw, as it
will turn water better, and stock will
not eat it off. Have it banked up on
the north, west and east ends, but open
on the south. You viii find that it will
be another waste stopped, as stock suffer
considerably from the cold and storms
in winter, and this must be met by
heavier feeding, and any kind of a
shelter will greatly alleviate this and
Will save more than enough to pay for
the trouble, besides being far more hui
name than leaving the poor brutes to
shift for themselves.
Near your barn or sheds YOU should
have feed lot, where YOU can feed
wheat straw and corn fodder to stock.
and where what is not eaten can be
manufactured into first-class manure
loo many farmers are too careless about
this. No effort is made TO make or save
manure and it is allowed to 90 to waste.
By having feed lot and allowing the
stock to eat and trample down the straw
and stalks, and get thoroughly mixed
with their droppings, will by spring
very materially increase the quantity OF
manure to enrich the land, and this will
help increase the products of the farm.
Do not have your barn and feed lot
located on high hill so that all the
most valuable part of the manure will
be washed away.
Shock your corn as soon as it is dry
enough to keep. Do not delay this work
until winter.
Push your fattening hogs; the same
quantity of corn fed now will make con-
siderable more meat and fat than if fed
during the cold, freezing weather in
December and January. Corn that has
to be fed out simply to keep up animal
heat, without adding to the growth, is
little less than wasted Consequently
If 1T can be fed at time when it is
most profitable it is certainly a saving.
When you have done this, then cut
and prepare as much wood as YOU can,
and this will save your health, and this
is very important waste. Then, when
the weather is favorable and you are
not exposing yourself needlessly, in
crease your stock of stove wood, es-
pecially for the kitchen stove. If YOU
can prepare supply that will last until
the next fall and winter you will be
saving large amount of time, besides
the vexation of spirit both to yourself
and better-half, by always having good
wood to burn all summer.
These are only four wastes but they
are important ones, and if saved will
add materially to the profits of the farm.
~ j. Shepherd, IN Western Plown,aas.