Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-02-21

il0NC a pOtSutlul iSCuluB NuluO Cquul
to two pounds of average meadow
hay. The value of wheat or rye
straw per pound is but little less. For
some years yet in the Ohio and Miss
i5sippi valleys the bulk of the straw
will be stored out-of,doors, and con-
sidering the relative prices of feed
and of lumber and labor, stacking is
probably the most economical. The
loss in a well-built stack is not great.
But unfortunately q majority of the
so-called straw stacks are unworthy
of the name. They are only straw
piles, and their contents are sadly
damaged. The very best hands
should be put to stacking. Two very
serious faults are common: The stack
is made too wide, and the middle is
not kept so high as it should be. A
stack always spreads; the straw will
slip out somewhat in spite of all that
can be done. If started asl wide as it
should be it will grow too wide, and
then either the bulge must be sacri~
feed or it must be drawn in too fast.
In either case the result is poor
stack. The middle always sinks the
most as the stack settles, for there is
the greatest weight upon it. If it is
not kept high and we'll tramped, it
will be lower when the stack has set
tied and the rain will be carried into
instead of off the stack.
To get good stack it will be nee
essary for the farmer to oversee close
ly its building; and he will make big
wages by having to do, while the
threshing is going on, nothing more
than to oversee the work. Ifhe does
the overseeing properly he will he
kept very busy, and he will save
waste and have work better done.
The pins should be prepared for the
grain beforehand. / have not had
the least trouble with weevil or any
other granary pest since l adopted
this plan: A week or ten days before
threshing, the empty bins are swept
clean and scrubbed, sides as well as
bottoms, with strong brine at the
boiling point. 1 am careful to get
this into all crevices and corners.
When it has dried the bins are white
washed into hooks and cracks. The
rough of the whitewash is rubbed of
just before the grain is put in. Grain
should not remain longer than year
in bin. If held over, change it to
another bin. My bins are made Of
seasoned white.oak lumber, and
find that the mice do not gnaw
through them. 1 keep at least one
cat about the granary, that is not al
lowed to remain about the house, and
that is supplied with milk only.
very rarely see mice about the gran
airy, but as Tom keeps fat and sleek
suppose he makes their acquain.
lance before / do.
In locating the threshing place, We
must take into consideration, the
probable accumulation of manure
Many make pretense of feeding the
straw by allowing the animals to rur
to the stack. Some straw is eaten
while more is trampled under foot
This may be excused on the grounC
that there is greater need of manure
than of feed. A plan that under ex
listing conditions in this territory il
commendable, is to fence the stacl
from the animals and feed the straw
from managers made near the stack
that the labor of filling the manger
may be reduced to the minimum. TIL,
managers may be made of poles
notched where one rests upon anoth
err, to prevent rolling, and the uppe
courses pinned down. Even whel
the straw is so fed there will be al
accumulation of manure near tn
stack. Hence we should select lev
ell spot for the threshing place, tina
the manure may not be leached, as
will if the ground is inclined.
In many localities it is the custom
to serve threshermen with very elab
crate meals, prepared by much house
hold labor. This makes threshin
time the dread of the housewife, VIII
feels herself compelled to keep, 70
hours over the stove, cooking fowI
pies, cakes, etc. This is foolish in
justice to the women-all the create
because the threshermen cannC
properly appreciate the women's ell
forts. A succession of hot fowl whe
the thermometer in the shade stand
near the hundred point, of war;
, dishes of vegetables, of pies and cake