Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-24
AGRICULTURAL. A
Digging Muck

Digging Muck
tFrom the Massachusetts Ploughman.l
In many localities, this can only be
done at a season of the year When the
streams are low, which is usually in the
not weather, though sometimes October
and November find the streams as low, or
lower than August or September, but to
delay digging muck until cool weather is
TO run the risk of not digging at ALL for
1t often happens that a heavy rain in Sep
tember will fill mp the streams so that the
water IN meadows will be too high to dig
muck except on the top, which, while 1t
gives better muck, is Il great waste of
land. When possible to do so, it is usual
ly best to dig as deep as the muck can be
easily thrown out say four feet deep, thus
getting eight &C rds to the acre
| SO many mistakes have been made in
the use of muck that many farmers have
abandoned its use entirely, but when
used intolligcntly it is very important
ant to him, and no good farmer will re-
fuse IT. To cart large quantities of wet
muck into the barn yard as was the Gus
tom twenty-five years ago was waste of
time, as it added but very little to the
value of the manure, especially If it was
mers began to Use muck literally, they
did not investigate enough to learn the
fact, that muck is a material that is unfit
for plant food, until it has been changed
from its natural condition, or that while
1t may be very beneficial to one kind of
soil, to n different kind it may be injuri-
Gus.
Careful observation and many expert
ments have convinced many intelligent
farmers that, to n limited extent, muck is
very valuable, providing it be in the right
state, and is applied to the right soil, in
proper manner. While many deposits of
muck are found to be of but little value,
If not positively injurious, when used
green, nearly all deposits are found to be
good when permitted to become we'll
dried, whether it be used as an absorbent
or applied directly to the land 1t is now
very generally admitted that it is waste
of time to cart into the barn yard, even
of dry muck more than is necessary to
absorb the liquids. If any more is to be
used it should be applied directly to the
land and composted with the soil. Well
decomposed muck is found to be very
beneficial to light land.
The farmer should always have at least
three years supply of muck on hand,
thus giving it time to become well dried
and pulverized. One load of this il
worth dozen of green muck Just dug
out. Before the rainy season sets in, the
farmer should house dry muck enough to
use MS an absorbent during the wet
and freezing weather.
! Regarding Beans.
| We do not ''live up to our privileges"
in the matter of beans. Custom has cs-
| ltal,1 1tal,, Nl,a
varieties of beans, the early Vapn-
tine, Golden Wax" and others, are
good for ''snaps" or ''string beans" that
the "London Horticultural, "the Lima"
and others are good when shelled green
and that the "Blue Rod" medium"
"Navy," and several others are proper for
winter, or rs ripe beans. All of this is
very well, so far as it goes. But it re-
stricts the usefulness of some beans Let
any one who has an over-crop of the Lon
don Horticultural, more than he needs for
seed, make use of them as he would the
usual winter beans, whether for boiling
or baking, with or without pork, and he
will have an enlarged idea of the excel
lence of beans. As the best Of all green
beans are the Lima, so are they the best
of all ripe beans. In localities where the
} season allows of their ripening, they
should be collected. If frost threatens,
pull up the poles, with the vines attached,
place them under cover, and allow what
will, to ripen in this manner, and when
the pods are dry, shell the beans. If any
one likes the Yankee dish of ''pork and
; beans, let HIM try the Limas, treated in
the same manner as the ordinary white
; bean, and he will have new experience
as to the utility and excellence OF this
! bean. The ripe Lima beans, soaked or
e parboiled until quite tender, and then
:. fried i'll butter, make pleasing variety
: in winter Agricuiturist for
n September.
i beware of BIOnt.
Bloating from ovcr-feeding on clover is
not uncommon among cattle in autumn.
No experienced farmer would think of
turning his stock into stout piece OF
A clover when the dew is on or when 1t Is
" wet with rain but bloat may come from
:. some disorder of the digestive apparatus
N or if the hcrbage be too rank, SO that it
it cannot be properly disposed Of, it will
If ferment in the pauuch, producing gas.
t. which, by its pressure, closes all way OF
;, escape, and. unless relief can be given,
the animal will die. Every farmer should
u know how to tap" the pau.ch, to let the
- gas escape. If no other means are al
'e hand, insert sharp pen-knife about half.
NJ M way between the last rib and the hip. and
!" eight inches below the level Of the line
=, of the back, the point tending somewhat
n. downwards. This opening will allow the
r. gas to pass off, and the wound will soon
c. heal. A better instrument, and one that
I'd every stockman should have, Is the tro
IN char, made for this purpose. This con
h. sists of n sharp-pointed steel ;pin, abou
10 six inches long, having tube (canula
IL which covers ali but the point. WheI
IS the pin is inserted, the tube follows i
ch and remains, forming means of exit fol
y the gus in the paunch. Food should b'
eS light for few days after such an opera
,o tion.-Amcrican -igricuitrist Jor Sep
od od tember.