1877.1 
AMERiOAN AG-RICtfLTtfRiST. 
53 
Baling Manure for Transportation. 
The production of manure in the stables of the 
large cities, amounts yearly to many thousands of 
tons. In its ordinary condition this can not be 
profitably transported to a long distance, nor to a 
comparatively short distance, unless a conveyance 
by water can be procured. Even when carried a 
few miles, the slow process of repeatedly handling 
it with forks, is costly, and largely restricts the use 
ing engraving. The fresh manure, as it is thrown 
out from the stables, is pressed in an Ingersoll 
press, or in any other press that will bale hay. 
When the manure is so compressed that a bale the 
size of an ordinary hay bale weighs 400 lbs., it is 
bound by wires, and is then ready to be shipped like 
any other merchandise. Thus pressed and baled, 
ten tons or more may be carried upon a car, and if 
shipped by vessel, it can be carried much more 
easily than heretofore. The loading of ordinary 
manure adds greatly to its cost, but when baled * 
The Plymouth Rock Fowl. 
BY DELORME BENEDICT. ROSSVTLLE, STATEN ISLAND, N. Y. 
[The portraits of the Plymouth Rock, given in 
the group of poultry on our first page last month, 
were drawn from birds exhibited by Mr. Benedict at 
the Hackensack Poultry Show, and which carried 
off the first prize for this breed. As these fowls 
are now attracting much attention, we requested 
I Mr. B. to give an account of their peculiarities, and 
BALING STABLE MANURE FOR TRANSPORTATION .— Drawn and Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
of it. Any method of so treating this city manure 
that it can be rendered less bulky, and brought into 
a condition in which it can be quickly handled, 
would not only add much to its value, but would 
largely extend the distance to which it could be 
carried for distribution to the farmers who need it. 
The desired plan appears to have been hit upon by 
Mr. Ackerman, of New York, who conceived the 
idea of pressing the manure into bales, for preserva¬ 
tion as well as transportation. Nothing could be 
more simple, and it seems strange that the idea did 
not long ago occur to some one engaged in the ma¬ 
nure business. The inventor of the method, how¬ 
ever, is the first who has applied it to this use, and 
he has procured a patent for the process. Con¬ 
sidering that a largely increased value is given to 
this refuse matter by the process, and that every 
one concerned may be a gainer, it is not unreasona¬ 
ble that some benefit should accrue to the patentee. 
The baled manure was exhibited at the late fair of 
the American Institute, where an award to the ex¬ 
hibitor of a silver medal was recommended by the 
judges of agricultural implements aud appliances. 
The process of baling is shown in the aecompany- 
this is largely reduced. Besides these advantages, 
the quality of the manure is improved by the pro¬ 
cess, tfiere being no danger of its being injured by 
over-heating while it transit. A bale that had been 
pressed for many months, was exhibited to the 
judges at the American Institute, and was found 
perfectly decomposed within, and in the very best 
and most perfect condition. There had been no 
waste of any valuable constituent; the manure was 
moist, of the texture of the finest peat, and in 
fact was in every respect all that could be desired 
by the most exacting farmer. By this process, the 
manure made at any large stable can be pressed 
daily or weekly, and the solid, compact bales may 
be piled up in a shed to await a convenient season 
for removal, the compressed state of the manure 
prevents its fermentation, excepting very slowly, 
and it remains in a good condition indefinitely. This 
invention benefits both producer and consumer. 
The proprietors of the stables will receive a higher 
price for their manure, and the farmers or garden¬ 
ers can afford to pay the higher price, and be gain¬ 
ers besides, because of the ease and rapidity with 
which they can load and transport the bales. 
his estimate of their value. This he has done 
very fully in the following article, for which we 
were unable to find room last month.— Eds.] 
The excellencies which are found distributed 
among the various breeds of fowls, are usually ac¬ 
companied by some defects. The Plymouth Rock 
breed, in my opinion, embodies in a large degree 
more of the good qualities, with less of the defects, 
than any one established breed, which renders it 
the “ farmer’s fowl ” par excellence. Undoubtedly 
the first requisite in any breed of fowls for it to be 
profitable to the farmer is, hardiness or vigor of 
constitution. Unless a breed has this, the standard 
will not be maintained for any length of time under 
the care usually bestowed by farmers upon this 
branch of husbandry. Ability to withstand the 
severe climatic changes of the North and West, has 
been imparted to the Plymouth Rock through thor¬ 
oughly acclimated ancestors—the American Dom¬ 
inique. From this breed it also derives the color 
of its plumage, which was one of the numerous 
varieties of color found among the common barn¬ 
yard fowls of this country, before the introduction 
by importation of foreign blood, and known as the 
