The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-05-31
The Countys Loss

N'i uNNN'h vi Nht lNp bIllNtN III llSl
weeks deluge The Burns bridge
was completed Dec. 18th, 1889, ut
cost of S2lOO, aud the lower bridge at
Sclinsgrove was completed and ap-
proved June 9th, 1890, costing $4,000.
Both bridges are iron and were
erected by the Champion Bridge
Company, Wilmington, Ohio. just
why the wooden bridges should
withstand the floods and the iron
bridges do not, is difficult to explain.
A careful investigation, however
shows that the loss was due TO two
causes, namely, the two bridges were
entirely too low and too short. The
abutments stand out in the stream.
hence the opening for the water 10
pass through was entirely too small
for the water to enter. This checked
the water and collected it above the
bridges until it carried them away
We have no doubt but that the
County Commissioners in erecting
these bridges were moved 10y the
principle of economy. 1t was, how
ever, the wrong kind of economy.
The bridges should now be made
about % or - feet longer and Mt least
> feet higher To bc sure the bridges
will cost more money at the start.
but IN the end, money will be saved.
Suppose it would have cost $1,000
more to leugthen aud raise these
bridges, this loss of SilOO would prob
ably have been avcrted We throw
out these hints to The public with Il
view to avcrting any such losses in
the future.
In Middleburgh, some changes
might be made TO prevent so mach
Nread of voter. This, however
authorities. The can be
imputed to the passage under the
bridge near NanIandt's. 1t is too
small to admit all the water and
nence it must spread aud the water
mandates places that would other
wso not be flooded. An ounce of
prevention is worth pound of cure
The soldicIs were busy all Il
Wednesday decorating the graves
their fallen comGlcs. Spec,
were made on the diilerchtc
In the evening speeches wtr
in Middleburgh The day was
as pleasant rs it might have been,
but the ardor of the boys in blue is
never dnmpencd.
We may have said it before, but il
we have, it will bear repeating Just
at this season, when replanting is in
order. Before one can feed .heir
soil intelligently they must have
some knowledge of the kinds and
amounts of plant food removed by
the various crops, A crop of 33 bus
hels of wheat would take from the
soil about - pounds of nitrogen, -
pounds of potash, 23pounds Of phos-
phoric acid and ~ pounds of lime.
This would incline both the straw
and grain ij bushels of oats would
remove - pounds of nitrogen, -
pounds fpotash, l9pounds of phos-
phoric acid ond II pounds of lime;
80 bushels of corn would remove 30
pounds, - pounds, - pounds and
1Gpounds respectively two tons of
clover hay would take from the soil
l02 pounds, 81 pounds, % pounds
and 81 pounds of the foregoing mat
erial two tons of timothy hay, 80
pounds, 73 pounds, 20 pounds and
SO pounds. These figures are sufii-
cent to show the relatively exhaust
ing effects of some of our principal
crops, and to show also the need of
being continually alert to repair the
waste made by cropping. They i'll.
ustrate forcibly the proposition that
the soil will not feed us unless we
feed the soil. One way to supply
tnlS pianb ioou 10 w Hiuu uIo iuHi
with whatever manure you
happen to have at hand, but the way
to do it proiitably aud economically
is to study the requirements of the
crops and the constituents of fertil.
izers, and then feed especially for
the thing you purpose to grow.
This matter of economically feeding
the crops is as important as that of
economically feeding stock, yet vast
ly less attention is given to it by the
average farmer The sooner change
is made in this line the better.