The National tribune., 1884-12-11
OUR RgR|AL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers

WINTER MANAGEMENT OF MANURE.


than saved and this TOO in the face of the fact
that the Winter is themost appropriate period
for converting raw material into manure. As
rule the making of manure is not so much of
that which is added to the heap but what is
saved by using it for such purpose To man
age the manure in Winter it must be increased
in every possible way, and when once obtained
should be brought to the most available condi-
ton for use at the proper time. There are two
methods in vogue that cause greater loss to
farmers than any other operation of manure
making. The first is that they place too much
faith in the supposition that all kinds of coarse
material can be rotted and rendered suitable
in the Spring, and the second is that they do
fertilizing elements that already exist in the
crude materials at the time of adding them
to the heap
To mix the materials in a manure heap prop
erly is very important The method of first
laying q bottom of coarse straw, or even of
earth, as foundation for the purpose of alb
sorbing the liquids, is well enough to a certain
extent, but it avails but little so far as the en-
tire mass is concerned. 1t is customary to add
materials indiscriminately, and when this is the
case the finer portions will ferment sooner
than the coarse matter, the result being that in
many cases "fire- fanging" takes place before
the farmer becomes aware that the heap has
heated. To avoid this loss the manure should
be well mixed with absorbents in a uniform
manner and the heating be under the control of
the farmer, which is easily done by OCCASION
ally saturating the heap with the liquids from
the stock. As soon as decomposition sets in
the heap should be examined daily, even with
the aid of a thermometer. When the interior
has sufficiently heated, the head should be
shovelled over, the matter on the outside being
placed in the center, and the whole heap thor
oughly saturated with urine. In fact. the
liquids are really of more value than the solids,
and not an ounce of such should be lost Solid
manure, made without the addition of the
liquids, is always deficient in some elements of
plant food and although it is claimed for
barn. yard manure that it combines all the nee
essary elements, such claim is only true when
the manure is composed of both the liquids and
the solids, as either portion without the other
is incomplete.
The absorbent material should be as fine as
possible. It will always pay to cut up all
coarse substances, such as straw and stalks, to
be used either as food or bedding before adding
it to the heap, as the facility of applying the
manure to the land in the Spring will be in
creased. The greatest loss, however, occurs
from the teaching of the heap by water. AS
fast as the manure becomes decomposed a GER
tain proportion becomes soluble, and the rains
wash this out completely. All manure, there
FORE should be under cover, and should be SO
situated as to prevent the flowing off of the
urine. As fast Us an excess of liquids exist
they should be added again to the same heap,
or used for new heaps, in order to save all the
volatile matter. A heap Of well-managed ma
=
by throwing together the manure from the
stables, stalks, straw, leaves, etc, and allowing
the mass to stand until overheated in some
parts before decomposition has begun in others,
and upon which the heavy rains fall and carry
off the soluble and most valuable clements
Exchanges.
PROFITS OF FARMING.
Have our farmers generally ever at all con-
sidered the question of farm profits as compared
with other business profits? We suggest that
this is matter which cannot be intelligently
considered, as labor business is generally pur-
sued in the various branches by the working
people, and especially the farmers. Farmers
generally suppose that their business is one in
which there is but little profit to be derived
from the capital and labor invested; but were
they to state an account with their farms, as q
careful merchant does with his capital, we APP
prehend that their notions of farm profits would
no Quitc dibCiCuV llOL4 tuuoe tucS HOW tultE-
tain. Besides the satisfaction of knowing just
what returns they derive in their general bust
ness a strict account stated the year through
would be suggestive of and prompt an economy
now not thought of really by the great body of
our common and small farmers. Right think
ing is as much a duty as honest industry, and
will as surely insure honesty in industry. 1t
will also inevitably tend to discard many of
those in other pursuits. Envy and jealousy are
absolute foes to contentment and happiness
which should be the great aim of human life.
Without this end life is a blank or a curse.
This is natures great lesson, fortified by ex-
perience and observation. By contentment we
do not mean idleness or absence of disposition
to improve every opportunity and means to
promote prosperity and advance intelligent
enjoyment. Bookkeeping ought to be intro
duced as branch of study in our common
schools, and our farmers sons and daughters
ought, when sufficiently advanced in other
studies, to be instructed in it until they become
competent to state accounts in ordinary bust
ness transactions; and then parents should
have them keep an account embracing values
of the farm, all expenditures it, all products,
and whatever is marketed, used by the family
and wasted. This should of course include all
live stock, its products, and supplies consumed.
This would be useful business training for
other pursuits also, besides tending to equalize
wages in the harder and rougSer kinds of work
and lighter employments, so called.-Minn.
Farmer.
NoTELETS.
"A Vermont farmer recommends that corn
stalks be cut very fine, sprinkled with bran
and salt in layers, and allowed to ferment.
This is done by first moistening the mass with
warm water. He says it makes kind of en-
silage, softening the stalks and furnishes Q
mass that is easily digested
The pumpkin contains six or seven times
as much water as either corn or OATS but even
if the pumpkin be freed entirely of its water
it would not equal the grains for feeding; but,
considering the ease with which pumpkins can
be grown, however, they are very cheap.
One of the most wasteful practices, says
the Stockmdn, is the too common one of feeding
on the ground. Go where you will, and you
will find farmers feeding their sheep on the
ground in the worst weather that ever stormed.
Not only out of consideration for the dumb
animals but as a matter of economy troughs
should be constructed in which to place the
feed.
"A dairyman states that he was troubled
with the smell of garlic or wild onion in the
milk from his cows To obvate this he put
the cows in the stable about o'clock each af-
ternoon and fed them on hay. giving them
their grain as usual. The result was all he an
ticipated. A rest of three hours allowed the
odor to pass off in the other secretons, though
previously it very STRONGLY favored both milk
and butter. The same course would probably
be Of advantage when the milk tastes Of other
weeds in the PASTURE
When transplantihg small trees care should
be taken not to set them in the ground any
deeper than they originally grew. Do not use