The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1894-07-18


is one dollar and half per ton, be-
sides boarding the four men and two
teams of the pressers. Add to this one
dollar per ton for hauling to market,
and the amount reaches close to three
dollars per ton. Good, bright wheat
or oat straw sells at from three to four
dollars ton, seldom reaching the lat
ter figure. Where the profit comes
in is not clear, yet there are large
numbers of farmers who sell all the
straw they can possibly spare every
year, actually depriving their stock OF
bedding to do SO. Straw is not OF
great manurial value in itself, yet fur
nished freely to stock in the form OF
bedding, or where they can tread it
into the litter of barnyard, it adds
greatly to the value of the manure by
absorbing the liquids and holding the
gases. to say nothing of the added
comfort TO man and beast obliged to
travel over it, 1t is always mark of
an intelligent farmer to see well lit
tered stables and barnyard dry
enough to be comfortable under foot.
Can anything more uncomfortable for
any animal be imagined than TO be
fol ced TO occupy a stable where there
is weeks accumulation of filth, un-
relieved by the thick coating of straw
which would, at least, make its bed
dry, if not cleanP Yet that is exactly
the state of many stable, and that
too, perhaps, with a straw stack within
rod of il. l wish it we're possible to
impress upon the mind of every farmer
the desirability of providing all his
stock with good thick bed of dry
straw. No one should be guilty of
robbing his animals of that comfort
for the few paltry dollars that the
straw brings.
But there is another point. On
heavy soil nothing surpssses straw to
tighten and loosen it. Spread the
straw and pillow it under, and ifit does
not plow under, scatter it in the fur
row for the next furrow slice to cover.
If this plan is followed it will not be
many years before a change may be
observed in the character of the soil
it will be more friable, as well as more
fertile. 1t is bad practice to burn
the straw. The ashes may have some
manurial value, but not much in pro.
portion TO the whole straw. The
valuable nitrogen has been waited
away by the flames. 1t may be that
on some farms the quantity of straw
is 80 great that there is no other way
of disposing of it, but burning is GER
tainly the least desirable way of do.
ing so. Give the cattle, horses or
sheep access to stack of straw
through the winter, and there will net
be much of it left in the spring. Oat
and barley straw make good feed for
stock, given in connection with grain.
When hay is high-priced, it would be
wise TO utilize portion of the straw
in this way.
Another profitable use for straw, in
many instances, is in keeping out the
cold from the stables. If there is q
place where the wind whistles through
or the snow Sits, nail boards to the
inside of the studding, beginning at
the bottom, and fill the space between
that and the outside with straw. 1t
is excellent for this purpose, and will
bOOh Ddy 1OL buC IL bAo
improved condition of the stock. This
is especially true of COWS in milk.
Nothing more quickly shrinks the
flow of milk than cold.
In finding methods to dispose of
surplus straw, do not forget the hog
pen. No animal more enjoys a good
dry bed than a hog, and there is no
more perfect picture of content than
number of hogs comfortably nestled
in pile of straw. There is no reason
why a hog should be regarded as
partial to filth. If he could talk he
would express himself in favor of clean
food and dry quarters. True, he seeks
relief from heat and flies in mud
hole when he can find no clean water,
but if he had access to the straw stack
he would show his appreciation OF it.
Feed the straw, work it into the
manure pile, tread it under foot in
the barnyard, plow it under ground,
dispose of it as a mulch around trees,
berry bushes or grape vines, but
never sell straw off the farm. 1t is
needed at home, and should be used
there in some way.