142 Our Farming. 



Ohio. I can well remember when they were not thus kept. As 

 we go South to-day, even 100 miles, we find many animals kept 

 out doors exposed to the storms. But farmers are improving in 

 this respect. They are finding out that a part of the animal heat 

 can be kept up cheaper by shelter than by burning hay and grain 

 in the animal's stomach, and that when sheltered the manure can 

 be made worth a great deal more. What we want is good, com- 

 fortable shelter for all animals, and to keep them undercover most 

 of the time. Have water in the yard, if not in the barn. Thou- 

 sands of loads of manure are wasted by stock going down long 

 lanes or off a distance for water. On many a cold, frosty morning, 

 in Ohio, have I seen from the car window a fine, large barn, and 

 stock out eating on the snow in the yard, or on some side hill 

 where the manure would be largely wasted. The time is passed 

 when any money can be made keeping cattle in this way, in Ohio 

 at least. In most lines, of late years, one has done well to get 

 paid for his feed and labor, and the manure was all the profit he 

 could possibly figure out. Can he afford to waste half or three- 

 fourths of it ? Shelter need not be costly if it is only warm and 

 comfortable. This preaching is simply what I have practiced as 

 fast as I could get around to it. For example, I told you in a 

 previous chapter of the cows drinking in the winter at a hole cut 

 in the ice in one of those frog ponds that we have since drained . 

 This was the best I could do at first, but I could not afford to 

 have my stock exposed to the storm and cold while going there 

 for water, nor could I bear to waste the manure that was badly 

 needed elsewhere. By the way, all around where they used to 

 leave their manure, the wheat is lodged to-day. It was worse 

 than wasted. The first change made was to dig out a spring 

 some forty rods from barn, and let water run out in a trough, and 

 I drove cattle there and staid with them till they got through 

 drinking, and got them back under shelter as soon as possible. 

 Thus they got warm, pure water instead of filthy ice water. This 

 was an advance, and cost me nothing but a little work. The 

 next step, which was taken just as soon as I could possibly stand 

 the expense, was to dig a well at the barn. Then I had water 

 some 20 above freezing, and could save all the manure and the 

 stock from exposure. My yard was small and I let out ten or 

 fifteen head at a time, pumped them fresh w r ater as they drank, 

 and at once put them back in a warm, comfortable stable, and let 

 out another lot. When through, I cleaned up any manure in the 

 yard and put on the pile. If it was very cold or stormy we 

 watered in the stable, as I could pump water right inside. This 

 was more work, of course, but " there is no excellence without 

 great labor ; no pains, no gains." 



But now we have settled on a general plan of manure saving, 

 in what way shall we manage to make the stable floors tight ? 

 The liquid manure is equally as valuable as the solid, and no 



