Evening journal., 1902-12-12


The usual recommendation Is TO keep
stable manure under cover. and the
plan is a good one, but to keep the ma
nure dry is just what should not be
done. Dry manure requires a long time
in which to rot, as chemical changes are
rapid according TO the quality of the
material composing the heap. "a shed
is best as a covering for manure, but
the roof may not be watertight. 1t is
not the moisture that damages ma
nure when it is exposed to rains, but
the teaching CIR drenching OF IL from
excess of water passing through, which
carries Oft all the soluble substances as
fast as they become soluble. A rain
may descend and wash away the rich
est exposed portions of the manure
but a certain amount of moisture re-
mains i'm the heap. This moistmga
hastms the decomposition Of the re-
manning insoluble portions Of the ma
lnure which become more or less sOlu-
BILE, and another rain carries of an
other quantity This is repeated with
every rain, until finally the farmer
hauls to his fields his manure. with the
confident expectation that his crop
will be benefited by It, when the fact
is he is expending his labor in carting
away the useless portion the rich eX-
tracts having passed away in the shape
OF black liquid, which is sometimes
carefully led into a draining ditch
/ but the moisture is needed in the heap
/ ii the manure is to decompose, for
water is an active agent, and while
guarding against the rain some pro-
vision should be made FOR retaining a
proportion of it. In dry seasons the
urine should be made to assist in add
ling moisture, and as this liquid is as
valuable as the solid deiections of the
food the manure heap becomes more
valuable thereby. The soapsuds from
THE house are perhaps the best of all
for moistening the manure heap, as the
fat acids liberated after decomposition
begins are seryiceable in fixing" and
holding many of the other active in
gradients, as well as creating many
compounds that would not otherwise
exist. This gives greater degree OF
sOlubility, for the number OF fat acids
is large, and these, in turn, quicken
the work of the mineral acids. AL
though the decomposition in the heap
may be rapid when so treated there
need be no fear of "hre-fanging" when
sufficient moisture is present, which
demonstrates the advantage of keep
ing the heap well-suppllad with liquids
of some kind. Urine and soapsuds
should be used in preference, hut clear
water is bettoi' than nothing. Pure
water is the best remedy to stop fire
fangng' and a busting Of plaster is al
ways excellent
Here and There About the Farm
Many varieties of potatoes come and
go, and but for the continued intro
duction of new varieties potatoes would
! soon be scarce. This is due to careless
selection of seed. All the tubers of a
crop are sold for seed, when only the
best should be selected. II the larg-
est tubers from the thriftiest and
strongest plants only are retained foI
seed there would be an improvement
in the old varieties instead of deteriCr-
alton in quality. But as long as seed
lpotaaoes bring good prices there viii
be good and inferior seed used.
eara
Steers coming five years old were
formerly the standard beef cattle. and
without a dash of improved blood ant
lgiven no care or attention except what
nature provided they scarcely attaine,
their growth before that age. Now
by means of better care and infusion
of better blood, the time for attaining
their growth has been shortened fully
ltwO wears