Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-06-29

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. It is always a mark of
an intelligent farmer to see well lit
tered stables and a barnyard dry
enough to be comfortable under foot.
Can anything more uncomfortable for
any animal be imagined than to be
forced to occupy O stable where there
is weeks accumulation of filth, I'M
relieved by the thick coating of straw
which would, at least, make its bed
dry, if not clean? Yet that is exactly
the state of many a stable, and that
too, perhaps, with straw stack within
rod of it. ] wish it were possible to
impress upon the mind of every farmer
the desirability of providing all his
stock with a 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 surpasses straw to
tighten and loosen it. Spread the
straw and pillow it under, and lift does
not pillow 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 n change may he
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 disposlng 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 viii
soon pay for the expenditure in the
improved condition of the stock. This
is especially true OF COWS in milk.
Nothing more quickly shrink5 the
flow of milk than cold.
In finding methods to dispose of
surplus straw, do not forget the hog
pen. No animal more enjoys q good
dry bed than q hog, and there is no
moro perfect picture of content than
n number of hogs comfortably nestled
in a pile of straw. There is no reason
why 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 q 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, pillow it under ground,
dispose of it as q mulch around trees,
berry bushes or grape vines, but
never sell straw off the farm. 1t is
needed ut home, and should DO used
there in some way.