Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-06-10
ELIMINATING Farm Waste. ;,

landed for this department. to H1NBY ID
hA0MD, Agricultural Editor Oxford Den
Eliminating Farm Waste.
tAndrew Boss, Minnesots College Of Agricul
ture.)
Americans have gained the reputation
OF being the most extravagant and waste
ful people on earth. This reputation Il
said to apply especially to the farming
not be argued. The fact remains tina
the American farmers have been mori
proficient in production per man thar
any class OF farmers In the world. They
have been justified in wasting some o.
their product by the number of aore'
that have been titled and the total pro
duction from their farms. Land hal
been cheap and easy to get and to work
What has been true in the past, how
ever, is not true now and will be lesi
true In the future. Land is becoming
scarce, foodstuffs the world over art
lacking and America must learn Its les
son of conservation and of the elimina
ton of waste. There are evidences o.
waste on many sides. Only q few o
the most fragrant wastes can be referred
to.
WASTE ACRES.
One of the first appearances of waste
that strikes an outsider is the large
tracts of land that are idle or bearing
but little crop. Many of these are Idle
because wet or in some way unsuited tt
cultivation. Often an expense of q dol
lar or two, or at the outside ten dollars
per acre, would convert these waste
acres into rich tillable fields. Other
acres are comparatively waste because
they are poorly titled for q long period
Of years. These often can be brought
back into large production by proper
tillage, fertilizing, and management
They ut least can be more quickly and
cheaply re-established than new acres
can be cleared and put under cultivation.
Many acres are hard to work and com
paratively uuproductive. It may not be
profitable at this time to put these acres
under cultivation. It would be profit.
able to enclose them with fences and to
put inside the fences sufficient live stock
to convert the waste products into meat
for human food. We have vast quaint.
ties of land covered with timber which
is giving no return. We should come to
regard the timber crop as an agricultural
crop and harvest It when mature. The
land should be reforested and put back
into production or cleared for tillage.
am aware that this is not time to use
much labor In expensive clearing opera
tions when the demand for labor on the
already cleared acres is 30 urgent, but
this matter we should have In mind and
correct ss soon as possible.
WASTED FERTILITY.
One of the largest and most serious
wastes is that of fertility. 1t is still q
common sight to see an accumulation OF
two or three years standing under the
caves of barns in many places. Straw
stack bottoms, hay stack bottoms, feed
Yards and pens bear evidence OF still
further waste. The manure crop is one
of the most abused crops we have. Be-
side letting the solid excrement and the
litter waste in barnyards, the liquid Ia
allowed to run out through the cutters,
down through the valleys and into the
creeks and rivers. With straw In the
yards for bedding no attempt 10 made
to absorb these valuable liquid fertilizers
and get them onto the land.
II is estimated that not more than
sixty per cent of the manure made by
the live stock reaches the fields. That
which does reach the fields is often
applied and still more is
wasted. Some waste comes from the
application of too much manure at one
time. It has been we'll shown by expert
mental test that II more than eight OF
ten tons per acre are applied in any one
year, q large portion of the fertilizing
elements leach out through the soil be.
fore the plants can use them. Lighter
applications and more even distribution
Of manure on the farm would be decid'
ed saving in farm fertility.
WASTED LABOR.
Our farmers have the reputation oi
being hard working men. They have
earnestly earned this reputation. Nc
class of men works harder or endeavori
more honestly to do their level best
Notwithstanding this fact there is very
much wasted labor on farms through
inadequate equipment and through poor
" organised systems of farm operation
An efficiency expert In analyzipg tht
business on farms would find very few
In which short cuts could not be made II
doing the ordinary farm chores. Still
other short cuts could be made In the
management of the fields and even II
the layout of the farm. It is impossible
to prescribe Q short cut that will apply
to all, but thought expended on system
in doing chores would reveal many ways
in which matters could be remedied.
Idle horses also are q source OF wasted
labor. Idle horses eat nearly as much
as those that are at work. NO more
should be kept than are actually neces'
sary for operating the farm. More than
that calls for wasted labor In caring fol
them and requires wasted feed to sup
port them. The good farm manager
will study the question and work al
those tasks which offer the possibility
of remuneration. There is some unpro'
ductive labor necessary on every farm
but Il 10 possible to limit that sort ol
labor to 1S or 20 per cent Of the total
Anything over Is per cent expended or
unproductive labor is, therefore, wasted
labor and should be corrected.
WASTED FEED.
Feed has been cheap product In the
past. 1t is no longer cheap product
Il may be scarce product. 1t has been
20 cheap In the past that much has beer
wasted. This waste may be seen In the
stalls of almost any farmer who feeds
hay. Some OF It will be found In tht
stall under the horses feet. It is kicked
back In the gutter and goes out as ma
nure. If the manure is properly used u
may not be entirely wasted but feeding
value has been passed out that has MOI
been used. This same waste extends e
the feed trough. It is frequent sigh
to sec boy attempting to turn slop Init
Q pig trough. 1t 10 not unusual to SCI
his attempt fail. Tho pigs crowd th'
trough, slop is poured on the ground o.
over the pigs backs instead Of into th'
trough. One-third to one-hslf Of It ma!
be wasted. This is not On exaggerated
statement. A saving could easily b.
made.>. Waste is also seen In the feet
ht,. -hSpo Saad In allowad In mOlI Ant