240 



THE GENESEE FAKMER. 



FERMENTED MANUSE - COMPOSTS. 



Editors Farmer: — In the June number of your 

 p;^j)er, Mr. .Johnston replies to an assertion of Dr. 

 /Lee's, that manure is injured by turning and stir- 

 ring as in making composts, that such is not the fact. 

 Indeed, Mr. J. carries the idea that manure can 

 hardly be too rotten for economical application to 

 the soil. I can not, from my own experience, say 

 that he is wrong, but will merely call attention to 

 a good authority on the question at issue. Prof. 

 Stockitardt, in his Chemical Field Lectures^ says: 

 " The farmer will always adopt the safest course, 

 who suffers his manure not to putrefy, but merely 

 to commence this process upon tlie muck heap. Ac- 

 cording to the opinion of practical men, this period 

 has set in when the straw assumes a somewhat 

 brownish color, and has become so tender as to be 

 torn readily by the fork in loading. Theory may 

 be represented as agreeing with this decision."— 

 You have taught us to place considerable confidence 

 in the teaching of this German agricultural cliemist, 

 and his reasoning on the subject is forcible and 

 seemingly conclusive. 



But what we would speak of more particularly, 

 regards the most economical method of m?.king 

 composts. How shall we manage, with the least 

 lahoi\ (an important consideration in this country,) 

 to get the requisite fineness and fermentation to our 

 long manure ? There are several methods employed 

 iu this and other countri&s. One method, practiced 

 in the turnip-growing sections of England, is, to 

 place the contents of the cattle yards in the corners 

 of the fields to be planted, in square piles, about six 

 feet in height. The contents are carried out at one, 

 or at most, two different times during the winter, 

 and no pressure is allowed on the piles, exce]it the 

 weight of a man to spread the materials thinly and 

 evenly over the heap. In this condition fermenta- 

 tion reduces the pile into a saponaceous heap, read- 

 ily divided by forks, and from which in May the 

 heat of fermentation has nearly or quite vanished. 

 Much bullc is lost by this mode of preparation, but 

 the manure is in fine state for applying to crops. 



Another method, which prepares dung for use 

 with less fermentation and loss of bulk, is to draw 

 out the manure at any time during the winter or 

 eaidy spring, placing it in heaps slojiing at ea'ch end, 

 ■driving the carts over it, and consolidating the mass 

 so that no fermentation takes place. Care is taken 

 to mix the whole evenly as regards quality and 

 moisture, and about ten days before the dung is re- 

 quired for use, the heap is turned over with forks, 

 laid loosely together, the lumps well broken, and 

 the dry outside thrown into the centre. A very 

 active decomposition immediately commences, 

 which is still going on while the manure is being 

 applied to the land, and is plowed in as rapidly as 

 possible. It is claimed for this mode, by the Eng- 

 lish farmers who practice it, that it produces equal 

 if not superior results to that first mentioned ; it 

 affords, larger bulk and more convenience in form- 

 ing the heap at different times through the winter 

 season. 



Let us submit a query to the reader. If the long 

 straw, stalks, and litter, usually contained in yard 

 manure, had first been passed through a cutting 

 machine, would not the manure be fit for immedi- 

 ate application to tie crops, as taken in spring from 

 iie yard ? Many practi-cal farmers will reply in the 



affirmative ; but we doubt whether a small quan- 

 tity Avould produce all that effect which the same 

 amount would when fermenting, as used in the 

 second method above described. 



From our experience with compost heaps, the 

 opinion has been forced upon us, that there is little 

 danger of loss from rain, but rather from the want 

 of it. If the heap is too dry, what little heat may 

 be induced by fermentation will render it still dryer, 

 and it will either burn or dry up in clods and lumps. 

 If rightly wet, it ferments slowly and evenly, and 

 upon turning, falls to pieces, which is just the state 

 desired for thorough incorporation with the soil. 

 If the farmer heaps his dung in the yard, it may be 

 better to make it in small heaps than large ones, 

 the latter have not succeeded with us as well as the 

 former. 



If Mr. Johnston will favor your readers with a 

 further explanation of his method of forming com- 

 post heaps, he will confer a favor on many, and on 

 none more than on a toung fabsier. 



Niagara Co., J^. Y., July 15, 185S. 



BEAN STRAW AS FEED FOR SHEEP. 



Editors Genesee Farmer: — I have never kept 

 but few sheep — from fifteen to thirty — but have 

 always endeavored to give them the best care within 

 my power, and have always raised more or less 

 beans. Bean straw is without doubt relished by 

 sheep when in good condition, but I have always 

 been more or less troubled to get the straw cured 

 in good order ; and unless it is in good order, I have' 

 never considered it as good feed, as my. sheep al- 

 ways leave it for hay, and even for oat straw and 

 corn-stalks. But again, when the beans have been 

 harvested early and in dry weather, and the straw^ 

 cured in good order, the sheep will leave all other 

 feed for it. But whether bean straw would be 

 profitable for constant feeding I am unable to tell ; 

 I am in favor of changing the food of all animals, 

 and sheep in particular, as they always do better 

 when receiving different kinds of food. As fer as 

 my own experience has taught, and the information 

 I have gained from inquiries of those who make the 

 raising of sheep an important part of the business 

 of the farm, bean straw is valuat)le as feed for sheep, 

 when fed in connection with other kinds ot food, as 

 hay, roots, grain, and other kinds of straw. Beane 

 are readily eaten by sheep, and are valuable as food, 

 but I am of opinion they would prove an unprofit 

 able and possibly an injurious article for steady 

 feeding. 



While I am upon the subject, let me urge the ne 



cessity of feeding a few roots, as carrots, turnips, 



rnta bagas or beets, to sheep. I have always found 



them of great benefit, especially to ewes with lambs, 



No kind of feed is relished by sheep in the winter 



like roots; and in connection with a little grain, 



hay and bean straw, with occasional salting and 



free access to water, there will be no doubt but 



that sheep will do well. They should have conve 



nient sheds to protect them from storms in winter, 



as it is almost impossible to keep an animal in good 



condition when exposed to the cold and storms of 



our winters. ' b 

 — < ■ 



Many farmers are too sparing of seed wheat. 

 Thin seeding has a tendency to produce late crops,i' 

 and increases the danger of injury from the midge/ 



