1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



41 



ABOUT MANURE SHEDS. 



When we see a reasonable scheme in successful 

 operation we feel more of its force — it stirs us more 

 — than anything we may only hear of it. So 

 thought a certain farmer — or at least so acted he — 

 when he went to work the other day to build a 

 manure shed. He had often heard it remarked 

 that manure kept under shelter was worth double 

 that left exposed in the yard — he had often noticed 

 the difference in its smell, texture and appearance 

 on his own premises, but he had never tried the 

 two, side by side, on a fair experiment, until the 

 present year. Now he saw the difference in value, 

 he believed what he had been told, and he went to 

 work to build a manure shed, so as to reap more of 

 the benefits now so evident. 



It is not to be supposed that the story of his ex- 

 periments Anil convince all who read it ; he had 

 read just as good, long before he really began to 

 "show his faith" — in the only true way of showing 

 it — "by his work." But it is "good enough to tell," 

 for all that, and we hope, will not be without its in- 

 fluence. He has two good-sized open sheds at- 

 tached to his barn-yard, Avhich his cows occupy for 

 shelter at will in stormy weather. He keeps his 

 oxen and horses in close stables, and these, as well 

 as the sheds, are kept well littered through the win- 

 ter. The manure from the stables is thrown into 

 the yard ; that made under the sheds remains there ; 

 both have a sufficient mixture of straw to prevent 

 too active fermentation. And both, were they in the 

 same situation in regard to shelter, would be of 

 equal value. 



Last spring, incited thereto by a remark in the 

 Rural, he determined to test the difference as close- 

 ly as he could, Avithout going into any minute figur- 

 ing or preparations, for that is too small business in 

 his ejes, for one with so much work to attend to. 

 So on his corn and barley ground, he took pains to 

 draw the manure from the yard and from the sheds 

 in equal quantities — though he said he did not think 

 it was hardly fair, for in the yard raamn-e he had to 

 cart off a large quantity of water, making — if there 

 were no other difference — a sheltered load worth 

 one-third more than an unsheltered one. (This was 

 the first idea that really hit him on the subject. 

 He saw that he could save the cost of a simple shed, 

 just in the expense of cartog-e.) Both kinds were 

 treated in the same manner, the crops were sowed 

 and cultivated the same ; but he did not wait till 

 harvest to decide that he would shelter his manure, 

 hereafter. 



Where the sheltered manure was appUed, the 

 corn and barley came up first ; and they kept ahead 

 all the season. The cut-worm worked less in the 

 corn, and the barley seemed to escape all injury 

 from insects, though tliat part to which the yard 

 manure was appHed suffered from the Hessian fly 

 to a small extent. The difference in the two was 

 very plainly marked, and at harvest, it was estima- 

 ted that the shed manured land gave a crop one- 

 third greatest. 



Now our friend has erected two manure sheds. 

 One covers the dung-heap from his horse stable, 

 the other is intended to contain that from his cat- 

 tle stalls, and the major part of the yard drop- 

 pings, gathered from day to day. Some time, we 

 doubt not, he will go into manure cellars, and sta- 

 bles for all his stock ; but this move is a creditable 

 one, and in the right direction. He will also learn 



the benefit of muck as a material for cheaply in- 

 creasing liis stock of manure, and then we shaL see 

 a shed for that, to be used as an absorbent of the 

 liquid — now, something stronger than rain-water, 

 and worth saAdng and cartage. 



His sheds are simple and cheap affairs. — 

 Crotched posts are set for the front, the back is the 

 barn-yard fence — one shed is covered with boards — 

 the other with poles and straw. We expect to hear 

 more of their success or failure hereafter. That 

 other improvements will follow, is very sure ; for 

 a good example, especially if a man sets it himself, 



certain to influence those who see it. — Rural 

 JVew-Yorker. 



HOWE'S ADJUSTIBLE CATTLE 

 LEADER, 



AND CHECK FOR FENCE BREAKERS. 



It has often seemed to us a somewhat cruel mat- 

 ter to punch out the cartilage of a bull's nose, and 

 thrust in an iron ring, and keep it there as a per- 

 petual annoyance to the poor animal. Still, some- 

 thing must be done to afford a safe control of them. 

 The device of Mr. J. A. Howe, of this city, as rep- 

 resented above, seems to be just the thing. The 

 thumb and finger being pressed immediately over the 

 ends of this spring, open the balls on the other end ; 

 it is then sHpped on to the cartilage of the nose, and 

 the spring in the centre gently closes it. The car- 

 tilage being thinner on the inside of the nose than 

 it is near the end, prevents the balls from sHpping 

 off, — so that the harder the strain is on the cord, 

 the tighter becomes the balls. The implement can 

 be applied, or removed, in a moment. 



It is also intended for unruly cattle by a simple 

 process which is not illustrated in the above en- 

 graving. 



A patent has been applied for, and the imple- 

 ment will soon be for sale. 



A Stratitm of Salt under Niagara Falls. — 

 E. Merriam, of Brooklyn, who has examined the 

 rocks underlying the limestone bed of the Niagara 

 river, states that he found a saline stratum under 

 them. This stratum is the foundation of the great 

 limestone walls which form the great cataract of 

 Niagara, a frail structure it is, and it is in tliis stra- 

 tum that the Niagara has the whole of its bed be- 

 low the Falls, and being soft, the water which falls 

 over ihe Horse Shoe and over the American, north 



