The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-12-06
HANDLING MANURE ~ AUTUMN.

The best practice among those not pro-
vidcd with abundant barn room, iS to
select level piece of ground, and stack
the thrcshcd straw there year after year.
The straw can be converted into we'll
rottcd manure 10y using it literally for
bedding in the stables aud by turnin"
the cattle tn the stack; and all things
considered, this is the most profitable
disposition of the straw where that not
eaten by the cattle i'm the stack yard is
converted into manure, and well cared
for. The straw thrown under foot by
the cattle will likely be tramplcd down
so solidlv that if left To itself il will not
be converted into manure in the desired
time; and part of the stack may have to
bc cut down and strcwn over tho yard,
making necessary some effort to hasten
the rOtting of the straw. As there is no
need of handling wet manure, il Is adj
viSablc to have the mass stirred every
day for some days before it is taken To
the fields, that it may dry out. To aC-
CompliSh this it may bc necessary To use
II manure hook like Il two pronYcd hoe.
1t may be made 10y any blacksmith.
A better one, in fact, the best for manure
not wet, is to have II blacksmith bend
the shank OF Il four or five tined manure
fork, making u hooh shaped like Il potato
digger. 1t is sometimes difficult 10 make
the shank hold in place. Take the length
Of the shank; measure back from the cad
of the handle tho distance less one inch, /,
ut this point put screw through the
handle, having it pass through the centre
uf tn" hole bored for the shank Ghc head
and point Of the screw may be filed oil
even with the surface Of the haudlc; :;
then drive in the shank with its point
! heated to n rCd head; rs the point
| reaches the screw it will be detected and
enlarged and will make way for itself
III the wood, ycttin" y hold that the
/ strength nf one man will not overcome.
TIL" handle uf n manure hook should b"
quite heavy around the shank t" "ivc it
/ strength, and the weight is really needed
there.
! All the manure should L." removed
| from the yard before the grain i, thrcshcd,
that the new straw may not I've StprkcI
! upon il, and the usual method of putting
II upon the winter wheat ground lS \ good
one. If Strcwn over the ground a II is
rlowCd. the narrowing necessary tn pat
the seed bed in proper condition viii
thoroughly fine il and incorporate it with
the soil, while it will not h" below the
roots of In" wheat. II is best To- Strcw il
over the Cround aS II is hauled out. This
saves one handling. llaulin" manure in
! il 50 fouls wagon box that j; j. best tn
have another box for this and similar
uses. This is best made Of loose plankS
. ninc- -I.Nn- l,44+-- tfrTUk NNT nom MIN"
to twelve inches wide. They ar" madc
! much more convenient to h,nllC by hay
! luz down the cn,lS to three inches vide
| If end boards are desired. groove, can
u" cut in tn" side of the handles uu the
ends rf the planks, and will h" strong
enough to hold the boards. ItdcSircd To
make the box higher than the standards.
and tn" latter are not provided with
ring, t" receive pieces, staple rings into
the plank> forming the sides of the bon.
Passing pieces Of wood through these
rings will hold the upper boards in place.
The lowest side rlankS must he "n the
bolster, the rlankS forming the bottom "t
tn" box fitting closely inside of them.
The manure crop year property begins
in the fall and "A; this time the wards,
stable and sheets should hc mad" clean
and ready forthcucXt year : crop making.
-imCrtc1H .lgric"ltHrIt.