Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1890-12-05
TAKE CARE OF THE MANURE.
The Importance Of Good Feeding and
Bedding for Stock In Making Manure.

y
what they feed to stock goes to the
manure heap, but neither the Importance
Of judicious feeding nor good bedding,
nor the means are appreciated as they
should be. It requires study to learn
how to make valuable manure profitable.
High feeding will not always do it,
neither will keeping large amount Of
stock do it. In making manure profit
able, keep no more stock on the farm
than is needed to work it, and only 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 OF. The bedding Of this
stock is moro essential in making rich
manure as well as increasing the bulk
than many might suppose, for the liquid
is the most valuable Not only is it
richer in plant food, but the plant food
is more available for crops. But not
withstanding this very few provide any
bedding at all, while still fewer use the
best. .9 M u ls lss3 IN. Il %@ sSs
A German authority found that.1 GOO
pounds Of bedding absorbed the ollow-
ing weight of liquid: good straw, s, COO
pounds; sawdust, 3,571: leaf raHngs,
a $50; and peat, 4,4S5. From this it
seems that leaves are next to the most
valuable material that can be had for
bedding. Not only do leaves make q
better bedding, but they have a great
manurial value in themselves. Nearly
every farm has some woodland attached,
and in that woodland annually goes to
waste forest leaves that could and should
be utilized as fertiizing matter and for
bedding. The off days and parts 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 absorb
the liquid portions Of the manure which
would otherwise be wasted by evapora-
ton and drama e. This bedding should
be removed to y good place and formed
into compost and other fresh clean.
bedding put in its place. Son alae1n Gull
+ tivator. !
Z Selling Straw. j
When q farmer sells al his st5.as;a,. IN
be carried off the farm he is sellina. fer
tility and robbing th. land. When rve
straw will sell for as much or moro ,,er
ton than hay the .fnducsment to let IS 90
will generally prevail, but something
sufficient to compensate for the loss
should be4substituted. Wheat straw is
better for bedding animals than for feed
ing to them, although the dry COWS and
young stock will be benefited by having
access to the straw stacks through the
winter. Whatever they eat viii be
saved for the farm in the manure. and
while tho nourishment they will cet
from it will not be large it will make a
considerable saving in hay and fodder.
The same caro- should be exercised in
getting all that is valuable out Of the
straw as from the other farm products.
and where straw is sold for bedding to
stables in the town the farmer should
stipuiate that he is to be paid in manure.
Where SO much is yearly taken of the
farm that does not return in any form
care should be taken to utilize eyery-
thing that will retain fertility on it.
Bedding the animals well through the
winter keeps them clean and comfort
able, and they will thrive better on less
food than they will on bare or filthy
foors. Eesides, it makes the best use for
most Of the straw.
y Colony of Eees.
Beginners are often perple1ed by the
promisc1sous Use Of the terms SWARM Of
bees, ''hive Of bees and colony of
bees. A swarm properly means tie
bees that leave the hive in n;.ty.2al sliyi-
sion, tho bees that collect in ;s cluster
and when pat in On empty hive viii be-
Gin anew their iaI,Ors - cr-,s s4r-, ~; !, ~