Year: 1860

Snow is said to be the poor mans manure.
but III our opinion it is by no means equal to
droi!.S, whether for poor or rich. This latter
article is, however, of much greater value to
he small farmer than to him whose stock is


large, and who thus obtains, if not as much
as he might or ought at least enough to
maintain few acres in comparative richness.
But from what source shall the farmer, with
only a few head Of cattle, preserve those fer
tilizers so essential to successful cultivation


This is practical question to which We ask
/ the attention of our readers.


Without pausing to al.ude to those fertili


zers which may be bought if one has the


money to pay for them, and which, however
beneficial in special instances, can never be
used to the secluson of the genuine farm
yard article, let us consider how brains may
be combined with such substances as lie
ready to the farmers hand in the production
Of manure better than any money can buy.
|. In the first place construct a barn Gel
lar, or if this is not feasible, where the ma
nure is thrown out, dig vat some three feet
deep, two feet wide, and as long as necessary
t for convenience. Cover this with roof,with


an arrangement for conducting the water


from the roofs into the vat when desirable
This vat is the depository Of such articles as


may be gathered for composing with the


droppings of the stock.


II. The place provided, the next step is


to fill it with those substances which possess,


after decay and termination, more or less
manural value. 1t is mistaken notion to


consider fresh animal excrementitious matter


manure =; it is, in fact, positively injurious to


vegetation until it has passed through certain


chemical changes. But,whie passing through
these changes, it evolves substances rich in


iertilizing properties, in great measure lost


unless there be present some substance to


absorb them. Hence, fresh animal manurcs


ought always to be well composted and al
lowed sufficient time to become thoroughly
decomrosed or else it should be spread up


on the field in the fall and plowed under


The former method has most to recommend


it, and principally for this reason, viz: That


by composing we are able to multiply every


load of pure animal manure into at least


Mree loods, every one Of which is as valua-


bic as the first would have been uncompost.


ed. What, then, shall be put into the va,


with the dropping from the stables? We


answer


l. Muck or peat. Dig it early in the fall


before the heavy rains come, and cart it un.
der cover where it can be readily shoveled
into the compost heap or vat. Try and have
it we'll dried before freezing weather so as te
be in condition to use all through the winter
If, without composing you have usual,
made twenty loads of manure, draw up fo


the next season forty loads of muck Thi
: will make sixty loads for the next crop ant
if you don't get your pay then, you may con
clude that either in the process Of compost
ing, or in the manner of using, there wer'
: not quite enough brains made use Of


d You will also do well to use some of tn
i muck as an absorbent in the stable ITSELF
TIE stalls should have raised platform 70
). the animals to stand on, sloping towards
r trough behied them. Fill this space wit
the dry muck, and let it remain until its at
sorbent capacity is exhausted. The lite
o used is also incorporated in the mixture, an
e the whole, when it becomes too wet and dee
e for neatness, is thrown out into the va
l. where little fresh muck is thrown upon i
+, Under ordinary circumstances the muck nee