The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-11-13

Will try to accumulate ana save: ana
the more we have the better crops Wa
raise; and the better crops we raise the
easier, better times we have. Manv
farmers run wild over politics and ner-
lect their farms. The heading Of this
article never enters their minds; their
farms are failing and almost yearly the
Judgment is passed on some poor field:
depart ye Improbable servant"
One of the main reasons why farming,
does not pay is the neglect of making.
saving and applying manure. The first
thing the farmer wants after rising in
the morning is something Ia eat, and he
would do but little through the day
without food. just so with YOU soil; It
must be fed before it should be expect
ed to perform its labors of supportin.'
crop. The farmer forces his land t.
grow crops year after year without food.
and then complains that it does not pro,.
duce enough to pay for the cultivation.
The farmer must remember that foreon.
tinuous successful farming the manure
crop is the most impo rtant that tha
farmer produces, and should haxa
the most care and prompt attention
But, instead, none is so needlesslv
neglected and wasted In fact, tho.
great majority of farmers do not con-
slider the manure pile as crop II is
only the incidental by product left from
the results of farm operations, and they
are entitled to great creditif they make
profitable use of it. But it is crop
susceptible of being worked and will
grow both in bulk and quality, according
to the degree of labor and care be-
slowed upon it.
In general way farmers understand
that considerable part of the value
of what they feed to stock goes to the
manure heap, but neither the impor-
lance of judicious feeding or good bed
ding, nor their means are appreciated
as they should be. 1t requires study
to learn how to make valuable ma
nure profitable. High feeding will
not always do it, neither will
keeping large amount of stock to do
it. In making manure profitable, keep
no more stock on the farm than Is
needed to work it, and young stock That
yearly increase in value. These can be-
fed such food as will supply all their
needs and return to the soil a manure
richer in plant food than the crop just
taken off.
Bedding of this stock is more essen
tial in making rich manure as we'll as
increasing the bulk than many might
suppose, for the liquid is the most val
liable. Not only is it richer in plant
| food but the plant food is more avail
able for crops. But notwithstanding
this very few provide any bedding at
all while still fewer use the best Brei-
tenlohnaer found that 1000 pounds
of bedding absorbed the following
weight of liquid. Good straw, 5000
pounds; sawdust, 3,571; leaf-rakingsr
1880, and peat 4. 1873. From this il
seems that leaves are next to the most
valuable material that can be had for
bedding. Not only do leaves make a
better bedding but have great manu-
rial value in themselves. Nearly every
man has some woodland attached, aud
in that woodland annually goes to waste
| forest leaves that could and should be
utilized as fertilizing matter and for bed
ding. The off days and part of days when
there is not much else to do can Be
proftably employed in gathering up the
leaves and hauling them to the barn
where they can be used as bedding for
the horses, cattle and pigs, as well as
spread thickly in the barnyard to abb
sorb the liquid portions of the manure
which would otherwise be wasted By
evaporation and drainage. This beds
ding should be removed to good place
and formed into a compost and other
fresh clean bedding put in its place.
This should be done at least twice
through the winter, when cattle lie out
on the yard. -Thos. D. Baird, in South
ern Cultivator