Daily Republican., 1884-12-29
"A GRICUL u R A L.
THE WASTE OF MANURE.

While manure is the most important
adjucnt of successful farming, 1t is the
one thing most freely wasted. Farm.
ers build sheds to shelter old wagons,
carts. sleighs, hay-rigging, ETC., all Of
which have an uncertain cash value,
and can always be readily supplied in
case of loss F.; but how many Of them
make provision for protecting their
manure from waste by weather during
the parts OF seasons when 1t is accumu-
lating and cannot be applied While
in excess, and one of the most difficult
Of all farm problems seems to be to con.
vince them that wise caro- may be OK.
ercised In this matter.
The trouble Is due largely to the ap.
parently innate disposition Of men to
adhere to old customs without any
other why or wherefore" than they
are old.
What IL q barn-yard for, primarily ?
Merely a. place of temporary deten.
1 ton, not as place OF shelter nor for
feeding, because to feed animals when
they are loose 10 to incur great waste Of
food. They have no sense of fairness
toward each other, little Of self control.
and the strong..always tyrannize over the
weak. They can only be economically
fed where each is forced TO respect tbs
rights OF others, and that Ia in the stall.
Then again, the barn.yard being open
to the rain, the sun and winds, the
manure wastes immensely. This
ought to be plain from observation,
but tens Of thousands OF farmers refuse
to heed it and cling to 1t, as the Arab
does to tent life, because II was the Gus
tom of his fathers.
To add to their Objectionable features
most barns and sheds are without gut
tors, 30 that all or most of the rain
water from them is discharged into the
barn yard, which increases the waste,
filth and unsightliness of these cattle.
pens. Though clean illness is next to
good liness," these sinks of nastiness
are maintained intact summer and
winter, with no other excuse than they
are the agricultural fashion, and cost
less in cash to establish and maintain
than good roomy stalls In cattle barns,
lover cellars where the manure can be
sheltered during the periods when 1t
cannot be wisely spread on the land.
Its regarded as cheaper to waste several
hundred dollars Q year in the loss OF
manure than 1t is to invest q few hun.
!, died during one year in q proper build
, ing, where the animals themselves can
be protected from heat and cold, their
food economical, and their droppings
/, protected from waste. So In spite Of
sense, argument, waste or anything else.
the barn-yard, with little mitigation OF
, its uselessnees, is maintained.
And Of course, being maintained, II
is almost invariably supplemented by
!, waste elsewhere OH the farm, and es.
pecially as regards manure. There
, may be thousands Of loads Of swamp
, muck to be had for the digging at odd
times, which, mixed with the excre
ments, would vastly increase the ma
t nure supply and save much OF thu
, soluble parts which now 60 to waste
/ but thousands of non-reading farmers
: look upon such work as of less impor
lance than going to circus. The
] opportunity to compose hundreds o.
loads of vegetable matter is often ne
elected. All potato tops. straw, boe
hay, forest leaves and other vegetable
ii matter is overlooked or rejected, ever
I be brought and applied.
II There probably has been no instruc
. ton or example on this point, and the
as men not trained In youth to looh
=. after such matters are apt to despis.
newspapers which aim to give sucf
4 tructions. The CARCASS of a dead
= animal or of fowl is never treated as
a of any value, and is allowed to decom
a pose where it does no good to the land
. Bones may be strewn about the house
. or lawn, or in the barnyard, and the
: unframed eye fails even to notice them
a for years, much less to bury them where
a they can do some good to trees, vines OF
grass. The land Is poor, yields pool
crops, and the owner and his family ART
a poor also, and complain bitterly, per
4 haps, against their hard luck and
r the insurmountable difficulties they ex
4 perience in the attempt to get on in thu
4 world, and yet are ready to take 1t al
Z an insult II told that they misuse theil
opportunities for advancement
/, There Is probably no better way Il
, meet and mitigate this evil than tt
ii continue to talk and write against 1t
a and to practice better way. Thousand,
a will live on without change, and finally
die firm In the faith that they know
and practice all that is of value II
!. agriculture but their children or theil
=, successors will do better. They learI
something when the old do not. Their,
"a are few neighborhoods in the lant
= " hich have not shown some agricul
4 Itural advance In the course of {
generation. Endless iteration and ex
n ample have done 1t. The new race Il
n more inquiring than the last, and every
/. year sees some Improvement, henc'
n those most anxious for improvement
can afford to work on in faith and hope
THE BLANKET.
Y The blanket should not be used upoI
. a horse at all in winter, unless 1t Il
y used faithfully. The great trouble II
its use arises In this way When {
team has been driven few miles Il
:, market, or the Same distance for plea
sure, blankets or robes are put on bu
8 when drawing logs to the saw mill, OF
n doing other heavy work. they ar
;, made to haul large loads mile or two
and return at brisk trot, then stant
Y unblankete while another load is be
. ing put on. Or perhaps while driving
'Iupon the road-sleighing good, speed
high-a friend Is NIT and half al
r hour is spent in talking the horse.
o cool suddenly, take cold, and the owne
wonders how 1t happened. Do not &C
Icustom your horses to the blanket un-
e less You cover them under all circum
l. stances after being driven In coli
;, weather. The blanket il of great bene
tit II properly used.