The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-03-01
Ghe Sarn,er.
Barn-Yard Economy.

A dark stream, often of golden color, al
ways of golden value, flows to waste from
many an American barn-yard. This iquit
fertility often enters the side ditch of the
farm lane, sometimes of the highway, anC
empties into brook, which removes it be
You'd the reach of plants that would greatly
profit by it. Mice may gnaw hole int
the granary and daily abstract small
quantity of grain, or the skunks may re
duce the profits of the poultry yards, but
these leaks are small in comparison with
that from the poorly constructed and i'll
kept barn-yard. The most valuable part
of manure is that which is very soluble
and unless it is retained by some absorbent
or kept from the drenching rains, it will
be quickly out Of reach. Manure is a
manufactured product, and the success Of
all farm operations in the older States de-
ponds upon the quantity and quality Of
this product. Other things being equal
the farmer who comes out in the spring
with the largest amount of the best quality
of manure, will be the one who finds that
farming pays best A barn-yard, whether
on side hill or on level, with all the
rains free to fall upon the manure heap
should be so arranged as to lose none Of
the drainage. Side-hill barn-yards ara CON-
mon, because the barns thus located fur
nish convenient cellar A barrier Of
earth on the lower side of the yard can be
quickly thrown up with team and road
scraper, which catch and hold the drench-
ings of the yard above, and the coarse,
newly made manure will absorb the liquid
and be benefited by it. Itwould be better
to have manure made and kept under cover,
always well protected from rains and melt
ing SHOWS. Only enough moisture should
be present to keep it from fermenting too
rapidly An old farmer who lets his man.
ure take care of itself, once kept some Of
his sheep under cover and was greatly sur
prised at the increased value of the manure
thus made. In fact, it was so "strong'
that when scattered as thickly as the
leached dung of the yard, it made dis
tinct belt of better grain in the field. The
testimony was so much in favor of the
stall-made manure, that this farmer is now
keeping all his live stock under cover and
the farm is yielding larger crops and grow
ing richer year by year. If it pays to stop
leak in the granary, it is all the more
important to look well to the manure that
furnishes the food, that feed the plants,
that grow the grain, that fills the grain bin.
At this season the living mills are all
grinding the hay and grain, and yielding
the products of the manure heap. Much
may be saved in spring work by letting
this heap be as small as out door yard feed
ing and the winds and rains can make it,
but such saving is like that of the economic
sportsman who went out with the idea Of
using as little powder and lead as possible.
In farming, grow the largest possible crops,
even though it takes week or more Of
steady hard work to get the rich, heavy,
well-prepared manure upon the fields.
More than this, enrich the land by throw
ing every stream of fertility back upon the
acres which have yielded it. Watch the
manure heap as you would a mine of gold
american Agriculturist.