The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1905-01-13
Haullng..Mauure In Winter.
written for the Epitomist.l


days are those who farm winters as
well as summers. Farming has be-
come a business demanding atteneion
every day OF the year If the most
is to be realized from the farm. There /
are few farmers who think that |
winter is the time for recreation, and |
give very little thought to matters
pertaining to the farm. Such farm
PTS as rule can be cited here and
there by the conditions of their sur
roundings. While winter is good
time to repay an old visit to your
neighbor, and possibly take two or
three weeks outing, 1t is not 10 be
considered the time TO sever ones
entire relationship to the farm work.
During the winter every progressive
farmer should be planning and get
things together to make work as easy
as possible when springs work be-
gins. The farmer who makes 1t a
business to haul his barnyard ma
nure out on the land while covered
with snow is taking one long step to-
wards putting in profitable win
ter's work. This not only makes the
work easier, but on the other hand
gets the manure where 1t will do the
most possible good as fertilizer.
Some farmers are averse to hauling
manure and spreading on snow, be-
cause they think when the spring
break up comes, the non-porous con-
EDITION of the soil permits the wash
ling away Of a large percentage Of
the fertilizer value of the manure
There is no question but what q
percentage Of the manure value Is
Host through washing at this time
OF the year, but experiments go Il
show that much larger percentage
is lost before 1t ever reaches thu
field than after 1t is spread upol
the land. Last winter feeling tina
there was some reason to believ
there might be more loss caused b.
washing than one might suppose,
determined to settle the matter TO
myself by trying a little experiment
There is no reason why any farme
need trust TO what others say regard
ing the matter, when on his own tarI
at no expense, experiments can B
: conducted that will settle the matte
n for always. When the snow Is a foC
= or deeper haul out five OF ten loat
on land that is to be plowed, II
coming spring and give the matte
u careful test After the snow hi
gone down about five inches on Il
level, haul out a like number
loads and spread as near as poss
ID BILE to the manure previously hault
l. out. Then again after the snow hi
m all gone, and the ground settles
s. the spring, repeat the same numb
te of loads near that which was spref
Ip on the snow. Stake off the stril
Iy so that there will be no mistak
4 made, and note carefully the growt
s. color and general development of d
crop. II 1t is possible to have d
crop Of corn it will be much east
ID to distinguish the difference If the
rs should be any. The experiment tn
Is 1 conducted on my own farm prov
N very favorable TO hauling manu-
and spreading on snow, but as all e
periments do not result the saT
II under varying condition / adyi
every farmer to give the matter
thorough trial on his own far
st There is no rule as to the prop
s method of spreading manure, eve
IN farmer makes his own and goes b.
I'll There is, however, right and
IN wrong way of spreading manu-
at Some farmers practice dumping t
b. manure off in piles and allowing it
s, rot before spreading 1t. This meth
r. in the estimation Of the writer is
m wrong way for the reason that
d. the manure is allowed to remain
or one place any length Of time it SO
drenches out into the soil undemea
the pile, and when spread, the mt
II of the manure value covers but
IS. very small proportion of the laI
ed II the most of the value of manu-
z is to be obtained 1t must be imu
of dlately spread upon the ground it
he intended to fertilize. In hauling !
It manure ! always spread it imme
n ately on the land from the wag'
and in this way save an extra har
: ling which otherwise occurs If /
in piles. At the time Of haulil
n there is no doubt but that it tai
a little more time to spread from
wagon than to put in piles, but
would rather give the time than hs
manure put in piles as many farm,
q do. Leo c. Reynolds. Michigan