Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-06-06
Stable Alanure Indispensable,

III We are 20 0oI1evo Wn8t too o8ttCut
tural papers, colleges and stations say
then the keeping OF stock u indispensa
BILE to the recovering Of the fertility o.
our soil and the increasing of our crops
30 a. to meet the increasing demands oi
both our home and foreign markets
Some sections fnd 1t profitable to raise
horses and mules. These will be needed
for many years on our small farms ane
billy towns. Sheep can be kept at
profit In the eastern states, and possibly
beef cattle, IL tho packers ever cease to
But dsirying 10 far away the LEADING
industry in the stock line. It has ad
vanced by leaps and bounds in the mid
die states and even in the far west. But
in recent years It has greatly diminished
in New England, a. has all other classes
of stock raising. This is an ominoui
fact. For If we are to bring up our farmt
and increase our products We must have
stable manure. Dairying should be, and
eventually will be, the leading sgricul-
tural industry in the eastern states
Milk, cream and butter are now the
cheapest and most wholesome food on
the market. And no product can be pro-
duced more profitsbly than that Of the
dairy.
No branch of farming can now be sue.
cessfully conducted without technical
skill and wise and persistent application.
The increase In the value OF our land, the
cost of our herds and of our equipments
and labor, demand intelligence and eff.
ciency in every line Of agriculture.
have noted many failures, and some rare
successes.
There are three reasons for keeping
stock. First, it enables the farmer to
become a manufacturer as we'll as pro-
ducer. He can put the finished article
upon the market instead OF the raw ma.
terial-blooded horses, cows, sheep and
bogs. The dairy furnishes him home
market for all his roughage and forage
crops. Eventually be becomes an EN-.
ployer as we'll "a producer. Secondly,
stock raising pays. Just now there is a
special demand for horses and cattle,
and the supply 10 far below normal. The
farmer who has barn full of high-grade
cows, of whatever breed, is on the road
to fortune. Thirdly, and chiefly, stock
raising is necessary to tho production Of
manure. This Is indispensable to sue.
cessful agriculture. R. V. Brown Of
Wisconsin estimates the value of barn.
yard manure at $500 per year on the av-
erage farm in that state. In the whole
United States he reckous that this fertil-
izer is worth s2,5O0, 600, 900, about equal
to the value of the annual corn and wheat
crop of this country. He also estimates
the annual loss on this resource to be
about one third, twice as much "a the
cost Of building the Panama canal.
These are startling figures and facts.
Especially are they Of special interest to
farmers just now, as the supply of potash
is ont of entirely and other chemical el-
ements are soaring in value. We must
this year depend upon stable manure al
most entirely for keeping up our farms
and raising crops. A ton of well-pre-
served COW manure contains nitrogen 10
pounds, phosphoric acid seven and pot
ash 10 pounds. As one cord weighs
about three tons its value can be easily
estimated. 1t Is worth at least $S.
Great attention should be given to it's
application. The place Of stable manure
Is inside the soil, both for Its chemical
effects and to preserve the humus. We
are told that there is an inexhaustible
supply of PHOSPHORUS and potash latent
in the soil. Next to cultivation, manure
serves to liberate these elements. Lime
comes next: This year the manure pile
should be made to 60 as far rs possible.
We have always economical on ma.
uure. because our money would 20 twice
as far in buying chemical fertilizers. But
now the conditions have entirely
changed. We have just bought IA cords
of the best farm manure. The price was
high, but the soil must be dealt with lib
orally, If 1t is to give back abundant
crops.
We return to the soil what We take of.
Chemical fertilizers are restricted 10
ammonia, phosphorus and potash. Ma
nure adds magnesium, calcium, sulphur,
lime, etc. 1t also renders the soil spongy
go as to retain moisture, and friable so
as to be easily worked. We should keep
In mind that the great reason for. inten.
sive cultivation is to thoroughly pulver-
ize the soil 30 as to make 1t congenial to
the seed and rootlets. The fertilizer
should be thoroughly incorporated In
the soil II the best results are to be OBJ
tanned. The seven years of drouth have
taught us many valuable lessons. Who
can say that the shortage In fertilizers
may not be still more instructivep We
are sure 1t will teach us the value of
barn yard manure and some OF rs will
learn how to use it.-George L. Gleason
In New England Homestead.