The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-27

OI DeeI at 0.l0 CeulS.ss pAoO ~
Profits. ts............. $5l "
Or 30 per cent. The excess in this in
stance is due to several causes. First
of these is that the meal used cost only
$14.00 a ton, and the animals sold for
.15 OF cent higher. The second rea-
son is that the animals were of a
somewhat better class than those in
the first lot, and laid on flesh more
rapidly, making an average gain OF
ZIG pounds each, against 157. -
This is the point at which the mill
and speculators are obliged to stop
counting their profits, but farmer
who knows his business has further
source Of revenue unaccounted for IN
the above figures. In the year book
for 1884, published by the United
States department of agriculture, it is
estimated that the manure OF a we'll
fed OF of 1000 pounds is worth $29.27
per year. The animals in the above
experiment would average about 800
pounds, hence their manure for the
six weeks was worth the first year $17
and the second year $l4. This would
give profit to the farmer of $50 81 in
the first and $65 in the second expert
ment.
The figures given above are the re,
suits of actual trials. The food and
cattle were bought at market prices,
and the cattle were sold for what they
would bring. They never were choice
animals, but to show what improve
ment they made, it is sufficient to
state that in several instances they
were repurchased at the advanced price
by the parties who sold them to US.
But it is to the latter part of our estl.
mate that we should direct our great
est attention, for it is the value of the
manure that should constitute the raj
son d'etre to the farmer; and by the
proper utilization of which he can
practices more true economy than in
any other way. With virgin soil OF
almost inexhaustible fertility we con-
tinued 10 raise our crops for years
without returning anything to the
soil. We have been like the poor
man, who, suddenly acquiring a for
tune, scatters his money broadcast,
forgetful that, though large, he is
spending his capital. Like him, we
have suddenly awakened to a realiza-
ton of this fact when our capital is
almost gone. This is proven by the
steady increase in the sales OF COM
mercial fertilizers. But attempting to
replenish our capital in this way is
like attempting to fill barrel through
the bung while the spigot is open.
We must first stop this waste. Where
is ita Every ton of hay we sell from
our farms contains thirty. eight pounds
of fertilizer that it will cost us 81 to S.
to replace.
Every ton of corn 3S pounds, worth
Sc so. Every ton of oats 43 pounds,
worth $3.50. A 5OO-pound bale OF
cotton in the lint 81 pounds, worth
s34, and 1000 pounds Of seed So
pounds, worth $3.50. How ara we to
Stop this waste2 The Almighty has
given us. 8 machinery, by the use OF
which this can be done and yet a profit
made on the machine itself. Live
stock of the farm are so constituted
that they are able to convert roug hness
into q fine manure. A substance
which is not only as good a fertilizer
after passing through an animal, con,
tanning all the elements of plant food 1t
originally contained, but is actually
improved by this process, for its con,
stitaents are thereby rendered much
more easily available to plants. The