The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-03-11

zESe<a-,8sSw
~@o~~
Retaining Manure Values.
There is probably no better way OF
handling manure made in feeding cat
tie loose in stables than to apply lit
ter daily to absorb the liquids ana
keep the cattle clean and allow the
manure to accumulate under the cat
tie.
1t was once supposed that If manure
was kept under cover its fertility
would not be appreciably wasted. the
Department Of Agriculture finds that
large losses may occur, though not to
such an extent, of course, as from the
open yard manure pile.
The best way to keep manure seems
to be to pack it into solid mass, ana
exclude the air, in somewhat SIM
liar manner to the way silage Is put
up. The department notes experiments
where steer manure was kept In deep
stalls under the feet Of the animals
for months, as against the method OF
aiming the stall out daily and stor-
ing in a compact heap under cover,
enough fine cut litter being used each
day to apparently absorb all the liquid
manure. The deep stall manure was
trampled to a very dark, compact mass
and there was very little loss of the
valuable ferdlizing constituents
nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash.
With the manure kept in heaps one
third Of the nitrogen. one-ffth OF the
potash and one-seventh of the phos-
phoric acid was lost, the total money
value of the losses being equivalent
to $3.50 for each steer stabbed for six
months.
Manure, it is stated, can be kept
almost perfectly, so far as the fer
tilizer constituents are concerned, by
use of the deep stall' system. Ex-
periments show, however, that nitro
gen is lost very rapidly by such man
ure, If it be allowed to lie after the
removal of the stock. without such
covering as will retain the moisture
and exclude the air.
The Modern Farm In Germany.
Electricity for farming purposes has
probably been developed more in Ger
many than In any other country. A
large number of German estates are
now run almost entirely by 1t, the
smaller ones being equipped usually
in groups from q single power plant,
az at Chottorf, while many OF the
large estates have their own private
plants. A striking example Of this
la tier class is the farm of Prof. Back
haus, at Quednau, in the eastern part
Of Russia, which covers an area OF 40
acres and has a dairy producing about
1000 gallons of milk per day. The
buildings are all lighted by incandes-
cent lamps and the grounds, in places,
by arc lights. The current Is supplied
from a small central station contain
ing a 5O-horse power engine direct
coupled to two generators. ana q
switchboard for the control of the
various circuits, all parts of which
are 50 simple and plainly marked that
any farm hand can understand and
operate it. In addition to the lighting.
power is supplied for the pumping OF
water and the driving of saws. feed
cutting machines. threshing and q
grist mill, and an electric churn IN the
dairy. Besides these stationary power
appliances there are number OF cleo
trically-driven agricultural machines
for use in the fields, including an auto
mobile pillow, all Of which are run by
storage batteries ana may be charged
at conveniently sub-stations. To round
out the completeness Of the equipment
the barns are heated by electricity
and ventilated by motor-driven fans
and all parts Of the farm have tele-
phonic Observation-Disclosures
ing Record.
Hens Eating Eggs.
Egg eating hens are nuisance, and
after many years Of experience in poul-
try raising the writer feels that when
his hens are discovered at the trick the
best way of stopping it is to kill the
hen. II our birds were not well sup
piled with hmy substances, such as
oyster shells and the like and all the
grit they desire, we would furnish
these before killing the hen. As a
rule, the habit is merely habit. and
is not due to any lack of food ele-
ment except that Of lime.
Usually the egg-eating hen gets into
the habit by eating an egg that has
become accidentally broken; liking the
taste, she acquires the habit, and once