148 
15he  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
January  29,  1916. 
needs?  some  kind  of  a  building  for  storage,  equip¬ 
ment  and  a  definite  part  of  a  man’s  time  to  handle, 
it  lias  become  an  important  branch  of  the  poultry 
plant,  and  most  important  upon  a  farm  where  the 
output  may  be  very  profitably  used. 
A  very  important  question  is,  what  is  this  branch 
of  the  business  worth,  and  how  much  of  an  in¬ 
vestment  will  it  pay  lor?  Authorities  have  placed 
the  value  of  hen  manure  at  20  or  25  cents  per  hen. 
This  then  with  1.000  hens  represents  a  by-product 
worth  $200  or  more. 
In  our  case  to  handle  this  by-product  properly  we 
need  at  the  end  of  our  long  house,  which  is  cleaned 
with  a  carrier,  a  shed  suitable  to  store  the  manure 
in  a  dry  condition.  We  propose  to  build  this  stor¬ 
age  on  the  plan  of  a  manure  pit,  having  a  concrete 
floor  and  concrete  walls,  about  six  inches  thick  and 
four  or  five  feet  high,  to  be  properly  inclosed  above 
by  roof  and  remainder  of  the  wall  of  wood.  Then 
we  need  a  storage  for  a  sufficient  amount  of  dry 
material  convenient,  right  at  or  near  the  henhouse. 
It  is  our  experience  that  in  order  to  take  care  of 
any  branch  of  the  poultry  business,  or  for  that  mat- 
rer  of  any  business,  there  must  be  in  operation  a 
working  system  that  eliminates  as  far  as  practical 
all  inconveniences  that  will  lead  to  delay  or  neglect 
to  do  the  operation.  For  instance,  if  the  droppings 
must  be  kept  well  covered  with  dry  material  that 
material  must  be  conveniently  near  at  band;  also 
if  the  farm  team  is  necessary  to  draw  away  directly 
the  manure  as  the  house  is  cleaned,  there  are  too 
many  chances  that  the  team  is  not  available  because 
of  farm  work.  Then  too,  rain  or  Winter  storms 
interfere  with  cleaning  this  way. 
As  to  the  amount  of  dry  material  needed  to  keep 
droppings  dry  from  1,000  hens  in  our  case  it  would 
take  10  tons  or  more,  besides  what  coal  ashes  we 
have.  This  to  be  purchased  to  the  best  advantage 
should  be  purchased  in  ca riots,  or  where  coopera¬ 
tive  buying  is  practiced  as  here  it  could  be  pur¬ 
chased  twice  a  year,  Spring  and  Fall,  when  reg¬ 
ular  buying  of  phosphate  is  done.  Then  with  ample 
storage  for  the  dry  material  and  the  manure  we 
would  have  two  seasons  to  apply  this  fertilizer  to 
our  meadows  and  new  seeding,  in  the  Spring  as  soon 
as  the  ground  was  dry  enough  and  right  after 
haying  and  harvesting  on  the  seeding. 
As  to  the  manner  of  making  the  manure  fine 
enough  for  application  we  have  thought  to  break  the 
lumps  up  fine  and  put  on  land  with  a  manure 
spreader.  I  assume  that  the  manure  spreader  could 
be  regulated  to  put  on  a  light  enough  application. 
Or  1  see.  no  reason  why  if  ground  it  could  not  be 
put  on  with  grain  drill  the  same  as  applied  to  reg¬ 
ular  crops  on  plowed  land. 
At  present  we  apply  all  ben  manure  directly  to 
meadows.  Tt  seems  to  me  that  a  large  part  of  the 
soluble  part  and  the  acid  phosphate  must  be 
washed  away  when  put  on  in  the  Winter. 
We  have,  right  here,  a  concrete  case,  a  proposi¬ 
tion  to  be  worked  out  for  the  practical  handling  of 
hen  manure  in  competition  with  commercial  fer¬ 
tilizers.  Au  investment  to  be  made  in  proportion  to 
the  business  to  be  done  and  the  profits  to  be  made. 
Will  your  expert  criticise  these  plans  and  answer? 
How  much  is  the  manure  from  1,000  hens  worth 
for  fertilizing  meadows?  How  much  of  an  invest¬ 
ment  will  it  stand?  Does  10%  acid  phosphate  make 
the  best  dry  material?  What  kind  of  a  mill  would 
be  used  to  grind  the  manure,  a  regular  feed  grind¬ 
ing  mill?  F.  E.  UPSON. 
Yates  Co.,  N.  Y. 
R.  N.-Y. — Here  we  have  a  set  of  most  important 
questions  which  can  be  answered  only  through  a 
discussion.  We  desire  to  bear  from  poultrymen  who 
have  worked  out  a  system  for  handling  the  ma¬ 
nure.  We  should  consider  the  manure  from  1,000 
hens  (that  is  the  clear  manure  on  the  droppings 
boards)  worth  at  least  $250.  Land  plaster  gives 
us  best  results  as  a  drier,  but  it  adds  nothing  par¬ 
ticular  as  plant  food.  Acid  phosphate  is  now  much 
higher  in  price.  It  is  not  as  good  for  drying  as 
plaster  but  rather  better  for  fixing  the  ammonia  and 
adds  needed  phosphoric  acid  to  the  manure.  Some 
of  the  manufacturers  make  a  special  mill  for  grind¬ 
ing  the  manure.  May  we  hear  from  poultrymen  on 
this  manure  question?  It  is  a  large  proposition  this 
year. 
Sheep  Raising  in  the  East 
A  GROWING  INDUSTRY.— There  seems  to  be  a 
returning  interest  in  the  breeding  and  growing 
of  sheep.  Why  should  it  not  be  so,  particularly  in 
the  rough  hill  counties  of  New  York  State,  where 
much  of  the  land  is  good  for  little  else  than  pastur¬ 
ing,  when  we  see  the  high  prices  prevailing  for 
lamb,  mutton  and  wool?  Surely  with  the  passing 
of  the  free  range  in  the  West,  the  Eastern  farmer 
lias  more  to  encourage  him  to  raise  more  live  stock 
products  than  he  did  20  or  25  years  ago. 
SHELTERING  THE  FLOCK.— How  to  build  a 
barn  to  accommodate  50  or  100  sheep?  To  answer 
this  question  we  should  know  whether  the  inquirer 
desires  an  independent  building  with  ample  room 
overhead  for  the  storage  of  bay  or  other  fodder,  suf¬ 
ficient  to  winter  50  to  100  sheep,  erected  with  a  view 
to  adding  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  farm  buildings 
as  a  whole,  or  whether  he  would  he  satisfied  with 
some  simple  economical  arrangement  which  can  very 
often  be  provided  in  connection  with  existing  build¬ 
ings,  which  would  serve  the  desired  purpose  equally 
well  with  much  less  expense.  I  have  in  mind  some¬ 
thing  of  this  nature  which  makes  au  ideal  place  for 
fattening  range  lambs  through  the  Winter,  and 
which  would  answer  as  well  for  the  wintering  of  a 
flock  of  breeding  ewes.  A  description  of  this  ar¬ 
rangement  may  be  of  interest  to  anyone  contemplat¬ 
ing  a  building  of  this  kind. 
ARRANGEMENT  OF  BUILDINGS.— Our  large 
grain  barn,  30x$0  feet,  with  16-foot  posts,  stands 
with  one  end  (30  feet)  fronting  south.  Three  feet 
from  the  southeast  corner  of  this  barn  is  a  smaller 
barn  20x40  feet,  standing  at  right  angles  to  the  first, 
thus  giving  us  a  “corner”  or  angle  at  the  ends  of  the 
two  buildings  40x23  feet,  Here  we  had  an  ideal 
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place  to  construct  a  sheep  or  lamb  shed  with  two 
sides  already  built.  We  completed  the  shed  by 
building  the  south  side  six  feet  high,  and  enclosing 
the  west  end,  running  our  rafters  up  on  the  end  of 
the  large  barn  14  feet  high,  supporting  the  center 
Of  the  whole  roof  with  one  post  under  a  purlin  plate. 
This  roof  is  covered  with  a  good  grade  of  patent 
roofing,  as  it  is  a  little  too  flat  for  shingles.  On  the 
south  side  are  two  windows,  and  in  the  west  end 
one  window  at  the  same  height,  with  another  over 
the  roll  door,  which  is  9xS  feet,  large  enough  to  en¬ 
ter  with  wagon  or  manure  spreader. 
FEEDING  ARR  ANG  EM  ENTS. —The  th ree-foot 
space  between  the  two  original  buildings  gives  a 
good  doorway  to  enter  the  sheep  shed  from  the  barn¬ 
yard  side  of  the  same.  Near  this  are  doorways  just 
under  the  edge  of  the  roof,  entering  both  of  the 
original  barns,  where  bay  or  other  fodder  can  be 
put  down  into  the  four-foot  alleyway  running  along 
the  north  side  of  the  sheep  shed.  From  this  feeding 
alley,  three  double  feeding  racks  extend  to  the  south 
within  three  or  four  feet  of  the  south  side  of  the 
shed.  At  the  end  of  the  middle  rack  is  a  water 
hydrant  with  running  water  constantly  before  the 
sheep  or  lambs.  At  this  point  the  shed  is  divided 
into  two  equal  parts  by  the  middle  rack  and  the 
watering  place,  which  is  accessible  from  either  pen. 
It;  will  be  seen  that  this  arrangement  affords  a 
roomy  well-lighted  place  with  very  little  expense  in 
comparison  with  what  an  entirely  new  building 
would  cost. 
UTILIZING  THE  BAY.— Another  method  which 
is  even  more  economical,  and  equally  as  satisfying 
in  a  barn  without  a  basement,  is  to  utilize  the 
“bay.”  which  is  the  term  applied  to  that  portion 
of  our  large  grain  barns,  where  the  grain  is  mowed. 
This  is  done  by  putting  a  false  floor  on  joists  or 
stringers  about  eight  or  nine  feet  from  the  ground, 
and  filling  on  this  with  hay,  fodder  or  straw,  as 
much  as  is  desired.  If  t lie  room  is  all  needed  at 
harvest  time  this  temporary  scaffold  floor  can  very 
quickly  be  removed,  and  t lie  stringers  shoved  back 
to  either  side,  and  the  whole  space  to  the  ground 
can  be  tilled  with  grain.  After  thrashing  the  false 
floor  can  be  replaced,  and  is  then  ready  for  Winter 
quarters  for  slieep  again.  We  have  both  ends  of 
our  large  barn  arranged  in  this  manner  and  And 
it  very  convenient  and  comfortable. 
A  SEPARATE  SHEEP  BARN— If  a  separate 
barn  is  desired  for  the  Winter  housing  of  the  flock 
the  accompanying  drawing.  Fig.  45.  would  be  prac¬ 
tical.  and  this  building  could  be  utilized  in  Summer 
for  the  storing  of  farm  wagons  and  tools.  I  have 
made  a  rough  sketch  that  can  be  varied  to  suit 
the  convenience  of  the  builder.  For  a  barn  large 
enough  to  accommodate  50  to  100  slieep,  I  have 
planned  this  24x42  with  s-foot  posts.  But  it  would 
very  likely  be  much  more  convenient  and  practical 
to  have  a  second  floor  for  the  storage  of  hay;  in 
this  case  the  posts  could  be  14  or  10  feet,  as  seems 
most  desirable.  The  foundation  can  be  of  stone  or 
cement  as  desired,  and  the  frame  of  OxG-inch  or 
2x0-inch,  built  up  with  4x4-inch  girths  and  2x6 
rafters.  If  preferred  the  doors  can  be  placed  on 
the  east  and  west  ends  instead  of  the  north  side. 
As  indicated  in  the  drawings,  both  large  doors 
are  on  rollers,  one  sliding  inside  the  siding,  and  the 
other  on  the  outside.  The  sections  between  the 
posts  are  14  feet;  this  will  accommodate  two  wagons 
in  either  side  if  desired.  Double  feeding  racks 
can  be  used  to  divide  the  flock  into  as  many  parts 
as  desired,  with  feeding  alley  along  the  north  side 
or  through  the  center.  The  two  concrete  piers  which 
support  the  center  posts  should  have  a  dowel  on 
the  top  to  hold  the  posts  in  position.  This  roof  is 
planned  one-third  pitch;  it  can  be  made  steeper  if 
desired.  Plenty  of  windows  should  be  used  to  in¬ 
sure  ample  light.  This  building  will  be  found  con¬ 
venient  in  Summer  for  storage  purposes  as  well 
as  for  the  sheep  in  Winter.  i.  c.  H.  c. 
South  Byron,  N.  Y. 
U.  S.  Money  in  Circulation 
Will  you  state  tin*  approximate  amount  of  money, 
including  bullion,  both  gold  and  silver,  in  the  United 
States?  F.  c.  H. 
Gold,  Pa. 
THE  following  statement  is  sent  from  the  Treas¬ 
ury  Department  at  Washington.  On  Jan.  1, 
4879,  or  37  years  ago,  the  total  amount  of  U.  S. 
money  in  circulation  was  $816,266,721  or  $10.92  per 
capita.  Compare  these  figures  with  those  below  and 
see  how  we  have  increased  in  both  total  and  per 
capita  circulation.  On  Dec.  4  the  amount  held  by 
Federal  reserve  banks  and  agents  against  reserve 
notes  was  $177.020.593 — $8,513,793  in  gold — the  bal¬ 
ance  in  silver.  At  the  same  date  the  amount  held  in 
the  U.  S.  Treasury  as  assets  was  $293,224,654,  most¬ 
ly  in  gold  and  silver. 
Money  in  circulation  Dec.,  4915: 
Gold  coin  (including  bullion  in  Treasury )  $603,342,502 
Gold  certificates .  1.258,660,599 
Standard  silver  dollars  .  66,170,811 
Silver  certificates,  b .  489,093,555 
Treasury  notes  of  1890,  b .  2,183,521 
United  States  notes  .  340,804,126 
Federal  Reserve  notes  .  477,477,420 
Federal  Reserve  bank  notes .  . 
National  bank  notes  .  763,385,036 
Total  . $3,859,660,981 
At  this  date  the  total  population  was  figured  at 
104,435,000.  This  makes  $38.04  per  capita. 
Guff  About  Rheumatism 
HIRAM  CARTER  makes  a  specialty  of  selling 
(or  giving  away)  the  "Old  Surgeon’s  Rem¬ 
edy”  for  rheumatism.  We  can  hardly  think  of  more 
plausible  guff  than  Carter  sends  out  in  his  printed 
letters.  It  is  evident  that  some  people  who  suffer 
from  pain  think  that  these  printed  circulars  are 
personal  letters  from  Carter,  and  that  the  “dear 
friend”  applies  to  them  alone.  There  are  some, 
however,  who  are  wiser,  and  who  know  the  unpat¬ 
ented  guff  which  goes  with  patent  medicine.  One 
of  our  readers  got  these  circulars  from  Carter  and 
wrote  back  as  follows: 
I  am  in  receipt,  of  your  three  communications,  con- 
touts  duly  noted.  It  has  been  my  privilege  to  follow  up 
several  of  these  (so  called)  dirndls,  to  find  them  fakes, 
without  becoming  involved  except  to  the  extent  of  sta¬ 
tionery  and  postage. 
Frankly,  this  appeals  to  me  as  the  most  mild  and 
forcible  of  any  brought  to  my  notice,  hence  my  refusal 
to  accept  the  $2  C,  <  >.  D.  package  Sent  without  my 
order.  Assuming  the  above  to  he  correct,  and  you  have 
doubts  of  your  ability  to  substantiate  your  claims, 
would  advise  that  you  promptly  wash  your  hands  and 
take  an  ex  lauded  vacation,  say  to  the  end  of  your 
natural  life. 
With  a  view  of  giving  you  the  advantage  of  every 
doubt  would  ask  that  yon  present  your  statements  to 
The  Run  a  i.  Nkw-Yohkfk  and  the  minute  you  prove 
them  to  their  satisfaction,  you  will  be  in  line  for  a 
greater  business  than  you  can  take  care  of,  as  they  are 
a  very  large  family. 
If  Mr.  Garter  wants  to  prove  his  statements  we 
are  ready  for  the  proof.  You  would  think  from  his 
letters  that  lie  could  cure  an  aching  void,  a  lame 
conclusion  or  a  painful  necessity.  Tiib  It.  N.-Y.  has 
rheumatism  of  the  sympathetic  nerve  when  it  comes 
to  fakes  and  curealls,  hut  we  are  always  ready  for 
treatment.  So  let  Brother  Carter  come  forward  and 
give  or  take  his  medicine! 
