West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-10-24
Sswdust n the Stable.


A few years ago there was . very
strong prejudice against the use or saw
duet fof bedding cattle and for absorb
ing the liquid manures Of the stable.
Many men who owned saw-mills were
afraid TO use their mill dust for fear it
you'd spoil the ntanure, or the lsnds
It was contended that sawdust made
worms TO eat the potatoes and cut of
the roots OF the corn. 1t was also said
TO burn the manure, and some thought
It would permanently poison the land
10 which 1t was applied. Fine sawdust
was deemed specially dangerous on ac-
count of the pitch it contained, and ~
proof we were asked to tiotice that
nothing will grow under the dense mat
OF needles which annually fall from the
boughs OF pine trees. Other farmers
who found straw bedding at twenty
dollars n ton rather too expensive for
free use, but who were determined TO
keep their animals clean ard Comfort
able when in the stalls, have persevered
In their experiments with sawdust till
they have lived 20 see very much of the
pre- udice against it removed Men
VINO once refused 10 use sawdust made
ut their very doors, now 90 miles 20
obtain IL for bedding cattle and hurses,
1t is impossible to use it in excess Of
needs, and to apply the manure i'm
properly. Green sawdust will heat
readily when used for horse bedding,
and tho heat may in ure the manure
unless it is spread thinly, kept wet, or
trodden down solid by hogs, or other
animals 1t has been thought to cause
humors upon the skin of horses. which
may be true in few instances, but Is
1t.
Sawdust that is left out TO the weather
and is constantly wet, may be clearly
enough as bedding, but it is not a good
absorbent. 1t should be stored under
cover and kept as dry as possible.
Green sawdust piled under cover will
heat itself dry in few weeks of sum
mcr weather.
III may be used in COW stables merely
to dust down the floors to keep them
looking neat, or IL may be spread deep
~, two or three bushels to an animal
Tor making soft bed, the soaked por-
lions being removed as occasion re-
quires. We would not use manure for
lop-dressing moving fields when large
amounts of sawdust have been mingled
with it in the stables. Such manure is
comparatively light and will not lie as
close to the surface, nor rot as rapidly
rs would manure that was mixed with
sand or dry loan. Sawdust manure will
do best plowed or cultivated into tho
soil. where it will keep moist and decay
rapidly. That it is poison in any true
sense OF that term, we do not believe.
We have applied manure in which It
formed liberal part, TO all kinds of
farm and garden crops with no i'll re-
suits whatever. 1t neither creates nor
attracts worms of any kind. We have
used it one year old in hot-bed soil, and
found the plant roots running through
1t and clingiDg to the particles of rotten
wood as if shey were bits of bone. Rot
ten sawdust is too near akin to wood
mold and the dust around rotting tree
stumps, to be in itself injurious when
properly used. A member of the Frank
lin Farmers CLUB once drew n load of
sawdust and dumped il in n heap In one
OF his fields, and after spreading it about
SO 1T was not more than three or four
inches thick, plowed il in without Sec
ing any i'll effects whatever, but n slight
Improvement in the crops after two or
three years when the dust had thor
oughly rotted.
We have used pine needles in the
same way, blowing them into the soil of
corn field without being able TO see
any special effect whatever Still we
make no claim that there is great value
In sawdust rs manure, but only that il
is most excellent absorbent and per
iectly safe TO use in reasonable uuanti-
ties.-NeU En- gland Farmer.