532 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



[September 



its natural position. In going over the 

 back, quarters, loins, etc., use the comb in 

 one hand and the brush in the other, work- 

 ing lightly and quickly. Take much pains 

 where the skin lies in folds, as at the union 

 of the legs with the body — let every part 

 be made thorughly free from dandruff. 

 Finish by rubbing down vigorusly with 

 wisps of straw, until the hair " shines like 

 a bottle" — an extra smoothing touch may 

 be put on with a woollen cloth. Do not 

 fear all this trouble ; it will be more than 

 repaid in the extra looks and spirit of the 

 horse. — Cor, Amer. Agricul. 



i*rom the Ohio Valley Farmer. 



Will it Pay to Build a Barn? 



BY R. D. G. 



This question is often asked among far- 

 mers, and we think it should be ascertained 

 whether it will pay or not. We will give 

 our experience, and some observations on 

 the subject. Men, who have not a barn, 

 will say : " We can get a Machine that will 

 thresh our grain and clean it all at once; and 

 our barn will be of but little use to us nine 

 months of the year." Now, what does this 

 lead to ? Just as soon as harvest is over, 

 every machine in the country is running- 

 over with business; threshing and hauling 

 to mill is the order of the day ; prices run 

 down to the lowest point. Then, when they 

 can't stand the price any longer, they coax 

 the millers to take it in on receipt, for their 

 grain is stacked out, and probably spoiling. 

 It must be threshed out, and they have no 

 barn to put it in. 



The millers generally have a limited time 

 set when they must sell their receipted 

 wheat. Now the farmer who cannot see 

 how they manage to keep the price down 

 till the time expires that they have to sell 

 their receipted wheat, is very far from 

 being posted. And it is no advantage to the 

 consumer to have the trade thrown so en- 

 tirely into the hands of the miller. 



Now we would say, never put a bushel of 

 wheat in a mill on receipt — either sell, or 

 keep it at home.. You run the double risk 

 of fire and the miller failing — in either case 

 you could get nothing. Besides, we think 

 this is not half of the loss ; for when grain 

 has to be stacked, it is often hauled out into 

 the woods, where the straw will be out of 

 the way ; or, if not, it is stacked probably 



in the middle of the field, and, as soon as 

 it is threshed, the straw is burnt. 



Now, when a man has no barn it is diffi- 

 cult to convert his straw into manure, or 

 use it for his stock in the winter, as he 

 could do, if he had a barn. It is well 

 known that where several hundred bushels 

 of grain are threshed, and the straw all put 

 in one pile, it will take several years for it 

 rot, and even then it will scarcely make the 

 ground rich that it was piled upon. It 

 wastes about as fast as it rots. 



1 bought a place about ten years ago, 

 myself, 'that had no barn on it. I put in 

 but little small grain, because I had no 

 place to put it. Five years since, I built a 

 barn fifty-six by forty feet. One of my 

 neighbors said I never could fill it. I told 

 him, if I did not soon fill it I would leave 

 the farm. The first year, I had six hun- 

 dred bushels of wheat to put in it. Two 

 years ago I had all the mows full, and piled 

 enough on the barn floor to make two hun- 

 dred bushels more. 



Before I built my barn, I made a dozen 

 or so loads of manure; now, I can manure 

 from eight to ten acres every fall. I hon- 

 estly believe that my barn has paid for 

 itself, or that I have made enough more 

 than I could have made without it, and in 

 this way — by keeping grain when it was 

 low priced, till it was higher; making more 

 manure; saving fodder, etc. Manuring 



IS THE FOUNDATION OF A FARMER'S 

 WEALTH. 



Methods of Analysis. 



By Prof. S. W. Johnsqn, Chemist of 

 the State Agr'l Society of Connec- 

 ticut. 



The general method of analysis for 

 guanos, superphosphates, &c, whose com- 

 mercial value lies almost excrtraively in am- 

 monia and posphoric acid, is as follows : 



1. Of the well averaged and pulverized 

 sample, a quantity of 2 grams is weighed 

 off and dried at a temperature of 212 deg. 

 until it ceases to lose weight; the loss is 

 water. If loss of ammonia is feared, a 

 known quantity of oxalic acid is added 

 before drying. 



2. The dried residue of 1, is gradually 

 heated to low redness in a porcelain cup, 

 and. maintained at such a heat, until all or- 

 ganic matter is burned off. The loss is or- 

 ganic and volatile matter. Usually the 



