The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-10-09
Increasing Stable Manure Value.

SSSSoSS SS -
Increasing Stable Manure Value.
All farmers understand that the valu-
able fertilizing portion Of stable manure
is the nitrogen contained in it,; unfortu-
nately, with this idea IN mind they fire.
quently buy stable manure at high prices
and pay more for the nitrogen content
than it is worth. In the fermentation of
stable manures the nitrogen in the form
of ammonia quickly escapes, hence some
method should be used which will pre-
serve this nitrogen. One Of the best ways
of doing this is by adding some chemical
fertilizer. kainit and acide phosphate is
more frequently used for this purpose
than any other combination and their use
not only conserves the nitrogen in the
manure, but, by adding the potash in the
kainit and the ~phosphoric ac.d in the
phosphate a better balanced plant food is
obtained. Adding these chemicals in the
proportion of 200 or $50 pounds of each to
each ton of stable manure is about right
and we have a fertilizer that is valuable
and inexpensive in addition to the fact
that we have secured for the use of the
crop all Of the nitrogen contained in the
manure.
Don't Forget the Cover Crop.
On several occasions space in this de-
partment has been given to urge the use
of cover crops during the winter In or
chards for the purpose of soil protection
as we'll as for adding humus and nitro
gen to the SOL by blowing under the crop
In the spring. Cover crops are as neces-
sary to cultivated lands as to the soils in
~hard the idea being to prevent the
escape of nitrates In the soil. OF course,
1t depends largely on the season as to the
quantity Of nitrates formed in the soil.
but with the probability of considerable
warm weather still to come the nitrates
will form rapidly because of the preced-
Ing wet weather and need protection, AS
to the cover crop use anything h will
give results. Winter rye and vetch are
both good. Put something IN for a cover
crop, no matter how late it Is lone if it
will not winter kill.
Making Farm Poultry Paw.
It is very hard to make farmers under
stand how great their advantages are in
poultry raising. They will say the work
does not pay, for it takes their time from
crops that bring more money. There is
something in this If one has a crop which
Is profitable and which is brought to the
marketing point at small expense. 1t
would be folly to advocate that anyone
drop a paying crop to take up something
they are doubtful about, but where there
are diversified interests on the farm poul-
try can be made to pay more than it does.
Inc writer knows a man h has one
sSAS Al q small NV 0eVClGu 10 DOulCrV,
tie goes to a nearby city and buys live
poultry of wholesale commission men at
The market price. ships them home, fat
tens them and markets them dressed in
the towns near him.. Nine-tenths of the
food consumed by the fowls must be
bought, and yet this man makes a com
Portable living out Of the work, This is
one case of many and if this can be done
II IS certainly reasonable to claim that
the farmer, who can raise the chickens
from eggs and also the food consumed
by them, can turn the result on to the
market at a profit. The one cause of fail
nre is not understanding the needs of the
fowls and how to feed them to advantage.
Learn this by experience and poultry
raising will be found one of the most
profitable ventures in which the farmer
an engage.
Feeding Farm Horses.
Most horsemen agree tina corn is not
a desirable feed for horses, but the farm
er who has more corn thar any other
grain does not feel that he can afford to
stop feeding corn. The trouble is. too
many farmers feed not only too much
,orn, but feed It too exclusively. So long
as farm horses are kept for work main
~, SO long corn must be a portion of the
ration when it is raised on the farm. On
The other hand, a ration of oats or of
rye and oats with liberal feelings Of
good hay would give quite as good results.
Or a good ration could be made by feed
ing one part each of rye and wheat to
two parts Of oats, giving three or four
quarts at a feed with hay at hight. This
ration has been especially good with the
writer and corn is introduced by feeding
It IN place of the mixed grains mem
Toned, three or four times a week. The
horses DO heavy farm work on this
method OF feeding and are m good health
Ill the thine.
Apples for Export.
Growers Of high grade apples should
look into the prospects of the foreign
markets. Correspondents In the large
cities who ship apples to Europe advise
US that the demand is promising and
that prices will rule quite high. They
say, however, that only the finest fruit
should be sent, that it must be properly
wrapped IN white or MANILA tissue paper
and advocate the use of the box rather
than the barrel. Prices are such on the
other side that more fruit will be sold If
packed In boxes than if packed in bar
rels. Crisp apples are those preferred
and such varieties as Wealthy Snow.
Gravenstein and Alexander are ALWAYS
salable. Growers are advised to com
municate with some reliable commission
man and get in touch with those who
export apples, but only if the QUALITY Is
high, for it will not pay to export poor
fruit.
Separators on Dairy Farms.
Dairymen are gradually coming to see
the necessity for having a separator. hut
there are still thousands of farmers who
do not use this cream saving device. 1t ia
not to be inferred that the home butter
maker can ompete with the creamery by
simply operating a separator, but, on the
other hand, his chances for competition
are certainly greater. The old hand skim
ming plan is ruinous for any farmer who
makes more than enough butter for his
own table. The separator ave all the but
ter fat; 1t saves an immense amount of
time and labor and it gives a.quantity of
skin milk that is sweet and valuable for
feeding to pigs or poultry. Then, too, one
does not feel that in feeding thiss skim milk
he is feeding more or less butter fat, as he
surely does when the hand Swimming pro-
cess is the method. There are a number
Of good separators on the market and their
merits should be investigated by any one
who wishes to make the dairy pay all
possible.
necirovinn iNL,;oL,. MAJ