i89o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
373 
Business. 
BALING MANURE. 
The disposal of the manure from the New York city 
stables is a perplexing problem. Men who make a busi¬ 
ness of removing it are paid by the stable owners for so 
doing and also derive a revenue from its sale to farmers 
and truckers in the surrounding country. The keeping of 
quantities of loose manure has long been a cause of com¬ 
plaint from residents in the vicinity of the stables, and its 
carting in this condition has been strenuously opposed not 
only by city residents, but by suburban dwellers and 
travelers who are compelled to be near it while it is being 
transported by rail or boat or unloaded and carted away 
in the country. Efforts have been made to compel stable¬ 
men to bale all manure as fast as it is made and to secure 
its transportation in a less objectionable form. These 
efforts have been in a large measure futile. The stable¬ 
men and contractors who remove the manure claim that 
baling injures it, and that farmers will not buy it. Mr. 
Sol. Sayles, a Sixth Avenue butcher, has baled his manure 
for several years, and is very emphatic in his opinion of 
the advantages of doing so. He uses a common hay-press 
costing in the neighborhood of $30. It stands in the stable 
and the manure is thrown into it as the stables are 
cleaned. When enough for a bale has accumulated, it is 
pressed, wired, taken out and the process repeated. The bales 
weigh about 200 pounds, are about the size of a bale of hay, 
and at a short distance, could not be distinguished from the 
latter. They are piled up in the stable until it is conven¬ 
ient to remove them, when they are taken out to his New 
Jersey farm for use. The manure heats the same as un¬ 
baled manure, but Mr. Sayles said that it is not injured a 
particle, and any claims to the contrary are all nonsense. 
The objections to baling all originate in the minds of 
stable owner and contractor, neither of whom wishes to 
incur the expense incident to buying a press. Mr. S. said, 
further, that the baling of all manure in stables should be 
compulsory, and that it is less trouble to bale the manure 
than to bother with the contractors. He makes from 70 to 
80 bales every four weeks. 
The advantages of baling are many. The manure can 
be stored in small space, and is divested of the oflfensive- 
ness so strongly objected to when stored in the usual man¬ 
ner. It is more cleanly to handle, and can be transported 
more readily. Taken altogether, baling is the neatest, 
cheapest, and most convenient method yet devised for 
handling the manure from city stables. Horse-men are, as 
a rule, keen business men, noted for their ability to make 
a dollar grow. It is surprising that they do not realize 
what they are losing by their present methods of disposing 
of manure. Every ounce of this baled manure can be sold 
at a good price. We know of farms 100 miles from the 
city on which city manure would be used if some means of 
packing could be devised that would enable the railroads 
to haul more on a car and thus save freight. Handling 
horse stable manure and hauling it over rough country 
roads, particularly in wet seasons like the past three, is a 
hard way of enriching the farm. Not only is this handling 
slow and disagreeable work, but the load is made unneces¬ 
sarily heavy by the immense weight of water found in 
loose manure. In the bales, a portion at least of this water 
is pressed out. In fact, there is every argument in favor 
of baling manure. When the baling is done as fast as the 
manure accumulates, as it should be, no extra labor is 
required, storage space is saved, and offensive odors are 
prevented. The ease of handling the bales and the fact 
that less water is paid for when manure is bought by the 
bale, will commend the practice to farmers. The trouble 
lies with the stable men and contractors who control the 
trade in manure. A great deal of it is used by truckers, 
who live so close to the city that a manure cart may be 
driven directly from the stable to the field without unload¬ 
ing. Such men do not care for baled manure—it is the 
farmer living at a great distance that needs it. If the 
near-by farmers used up a portion of the product from 
each stable the remainder would hardly make enough to 
bale. Let stable-men who want this trade do as Mr. Sayles 
does—bale all their manure, and advertise their product. 
They will soon find themselves unable to supply the 
demand. 
ANOTHER FARMER TALKS. 
In the Rural of May 24, the middlemen are after our 
friend Dibble with a “ sharp stick.” My object in writing 
is not to come to his rescue, for I can assure the readers of 
the Rural that he can take care of himself. His talking 
‘‘right out in meeting,” as I have heard him do at a farm¬ 
ers’ institute held at Livonia Station, last April, is calcu¬ 
lated to set farmers thinking as to how they can plan so as 
not to allow the middlemen too big a profit. I have 
bought farm machinery of agents, and also directly from 
the manufacturers. In several instances I have done as 
well through the agent as in buying directly. If the mid¬ 
dleman is a man, as he ought to be, he will represent a 
machine just as it is, and will not rob the farmer in the 
price of it. I have had to do with several such myself. 
Then again, I have been “ beat,” and I shall be plain, and 
tell just how it was. Eleven years ago I wanted a mowing 
machine, for which I was ready to pay cash down. I 
ordered a Champion mower of the general agent in Roch¬ 
ester, paying $63. for it. I used that machine three years 
and then sold it to a frieDd who wanted one just like it at 
once. The next year I ordered another of the same kind, 
from the same party. For that machine I paid $60. I 
did not run that mower long before the tongue broke, 
when, to my entire disgust, I made the discovery 
that it was made of pine wood. I immediately 
wired the agent to send me a white-ash tongue to 
replace the pine one. As if to add “ insult to injury,” he 
sent it C. O. D. But, afterwards, upon my calling his at¬ 
tention to it, returned the price of it; his excuse to me 
for having used pine, was that the company could not get 
enough good ash timber for the many machines they turned 
out. I thought the excuse “ rather thin.” After using the 
ash tongue the next season, I discovered that it had a defect 
and was obliged to put a large iron plate on the side of it 
to make it safe. That concern will never again sell me 
another machine. I doubt not, I could have bought that 
machine just as cheap of a reliable local agent (had there 
been one here), without being subject to the annoyance I 
was. The Victor Mowing Machine Company sends out cir¬ 
culars setting forth that they will sell their mowers directly 
to the farmers for, I think, less than $30, the money to be 
sent them before shipment. That machine may be a good 
one: but where is the farmer nowadays who does not want 
to know how and where he is to get repairs in case of 
breakage ? The only remedy is to buy of honest middle¬ 
men, and there are such, and not to expect too much for 
too little money, for such goods too often turn out to be as 
“ good as they are cheap.” P. G. F. 
So. Livonia, N. Y. 
FAMILY ACCOUNTS; A SIMPLE SYSTEM OF 
KEEPING THEM. 
The head of every family should keep an account of his 
expenses to learn the amount of losses and gains—both in 
whole and in particular lines of work or classes of crops. 
This is invaluable in determining what crops pay the best, 
etc., and shows at all times an accurate record of all ac¬ 
counts received and payable, the history of any notes due 
from or to him, as well as the rate, expiration of policies 
and amount of dues of life and fire insurance companies, 
etc. Many are prevented from keeping such records by a 
lack of a knowledge of book-keeping, and more on account 
of the complicated systems suggested to them by imprac¬ 
ticable people. To those desiring to maintain a proper 
record in the briefest way, requiring the least expenditure 
of time and care, I address the following suggestions, add¬ 
ing that I am a book-keeper and a practical man as well, 
and am employing the system in my own case, with the 
best of satisfaction, and I hope it may prove as great a 
source of profit and pleasure to many others. 
In adopting this system, you will purchase: One mem¬ 
orandum calendar, blocked, like the miniature copy be¬ 
low. This shows the day of the month and week, and there 
X 
I 
ss 
H 
is a blank space on one side, and the opposite side is blank. 
These can be bought at any book store. The size is usu¬ 
ally 5x2% inches. In addition, there should be one ledger, 
indexed ; the size will, of course, depend on the amount of 
business you intend to record. It is well to get one large 
enough for all requirements, and it should be divided into 
such a number of accounts as may be desirable. There 
should be so many leaves for expense account; so many 
for notes receivable, poultry, wheat, table expenses, cloth¬ 
ing, household furnishing, food, repair accounts, insur¬ 
ance, cattle, etc., etc. The only other requisite is a bunch 
of 52 envelopes to receive the leaves of the calendar, one for 
each week, on which inscribe, 
CHARGES— 
For Week Ending May 18, 1890. 
Now you are ready. 
In beginning a business, and opening a set of books, it is 
customary to enter under each account the value of the 
‘‘stock on hand,” if any. In like manner, if you wish to 
‘‘start straight” in your account keeping, it will be neces¬ 
sary to enter, under the real estate account, the value of 
your real estate; under poultry, the value of what you 
have on hand ; under cattle account, ditto; and so through 
the list. Now if you charge on the ledger, under these 
figures, all amounts paid out for each account, and credit 
on the opposite side, in the column assigned for the credits, 
the amounts of costs for the same, the difference will show 
what you made or lost, after considering the ‘‘stock on 
hand.” 
But to place its proper value on everything would be a 
greater task than many would care to undertake, and they 
would prefer to start with blank pages. If you are such a 
person, every night take your memorandum block, and 
enter on the blank the amount paid or received during the 
day for the different acounts. Do this every day, and at 
the end of the week place the seven slips inside the proper 
envelope, and whenever you have the opportunity, “ post ” 
your ledger; i. e., carry the amounts from the memoran¬ 
dum slips to the accounts in the ledger to which they be¬ 
long ; first taking off the different items on a piece of 
paper to get each account in one sum total, which you 
will date: “Week Ending-.” Thus your ledger ac¬ 
counts will show the cost and returns, by the week, for 
each account you choose to open, and the original entries 
may be referred to for prices, etc., almost instantly, with¬ 
out repeating the writing. c. S. w. 
IMPLEMENT NOTES. 
Farm Grinders Heard From.— I have a combined feed 
mill and two-horse power, made by the Stover Manufac¬ 
turing Company. It will grind shelled corn at the rate of 
10 to 12 bushels per hour. Oats do not run through it so 
fast. It does not grind as fast as a burr-stone mill; but, 
then, it beats going four miles to mill, and at the same 
time the toll is saved, which is quite an item. With this 
same machine we run a 16-inch buzz saw, a Ross 11 A 
fodder cutter, and a Marcellus power corn-sheller, with 
capacity of 40 bushel of shelled corn per hour. It is cer¬ 
tainly a very satisfactory machine for the farm. P. G. F. 
South Livonia, N. Y. 
* * * 
I have run a grinder for three years, grinding all my 
feed. I use a two-horse tread power, which runs it nicely. 
Once I ground 12 bushels of com and oats, mixed, 
in an hour. It cost me between $30 and $40, and I had to 
replace the grinding plates after using it two years. They 
cost about $2. I believe it pays to grind all the feed for the 
cattle unless that from the silo. The corn from that will 
be soft and digestible without grinding. Suppose we 
grind 1,000 bushels of corn and oats each winter, this 
would save in toll, if the miller took only one-tenth, 100 
bushels, or about $30. I have to go 3% miles to a mill and 
would have to go at least 15 times. Doing this would spoil 
a day each trip, and the total loss may be estimated at $20 
at least, so I think I may feel sure that the grinder pays. 
The wear and tear of a tread power and mill is some¬ 
thing ; but mine, after three years’ service, cutting, grind¬ 
ing, sawing, etc., are yet good, so that the damage is not 
great. I make no charge for the horse power to run the 
tread, as I would rather that my horses should do it than 
not. It is under shelter, and the work gives wholesome 
exercise. A. J. cook. 
* * * 
Changes in Feed Mills.— In the Rural New-Yorker 
of May 24, some one asks as to the kind, cost, durability 
and economy of farm feed mills, al30 whether it pays to 
grind all our feed. My experience for over 15 years is that 
it does pay to grind all our feed. I have used four differ¬ 
ent kinds of feed mills, and have not found one that I 
think would be economical if run by horse power—I mean 
by any two-horse tread power. They are either too small 
to be of practical use, or too large for the power. I am 
now using a Scientific, No. 2, feed mill, made by the 
Springfield Machine Co.. Springfield, O. The grinding 
plates are 12 inches in diameter, and it is claimed by the 
manufacturers that the mill will grind 3,000 bushels 
before the plates will have to be renewed. I have not been 
able to grind over 1,200 bushels as fine as I like. This mill 
cannot be run by horse-power. I use a six-horse-power 
steam engine, and grind from 10 to 15 bushels per hour, ac¬ 
cording to the fineness of the product. I think a 10-horse¬ 
power engine would grind 20 bushels per hour, and grind 
it fine. There may be other mills that will do good work 
with a common horse-power ; but, so far as my experience 
goes, they will not grind over five or six bushels per hour, 
if it is ground fine. Any farmer can tell whether his time 
is too valuable to be economically spent in using such a 
mill, which costs from $40 to $50, the plates costing 
from $1 to $2 each, according to their size. I 
think that on any farm on which there is a dairy of 
25 cows, it would be economical to have a steam engine 
and feed mill all of which can be bought for $350. The 
cost of coal for 10 hours’ work will not exceed $1.. There is 
one thing more about feed mills—I have never seen one 
that was properly adjusted for horse power or a light 
steam power. Manufacturers test their mills with plenty 
of power, and then estimate what a lighter power will do— 
at least this seems to be the way the thing is done, as the 
mill never comes up to the mark claimed. This must not 
be taken to mean that this is true of every mill made, as I 
have tried only four kinds. The “Scientific” is a good 
mill, and will do work almost equal to that of a stone mill. 
I think that if the manufacturers would make a mill with 
eight-inch grinding plates, put on a vibrating feeder in 
place of the one they now use, the mill could be run by a 
two-horse tread power with economy. I will say here, for 
the benefit of the manufacturers, that I changed the 
feeder to my mill, as mentioned above, and found that the 
mill would grind five bushels per hour more with 10 pounds 
less steam. I wrote to the manufacturers about it, but I 
find that the manufacturers of agricultural tools get an 
idea that they have the best thing, and that it is made 
just right. Then they can sell all that they make just as 
they are, consequently there is no need of going to the ex¬ 
pense of improving. I have letters to this effect from 
several manufacturers, one received within 10 days. 
S. M. MACOMBER. 
* * * 
Canned Corn. —Some parties who supply sweet-corn to 
canning factories say that the demand for the crop this 
year will not help the growers. When the R. N.-Y. spoke 
of the probable extra demand this season, it meant that 
the canners would probably relieve the city markets some¬ 
what and help avert the usual glut. Why is not the Black 
Mexican Corn more in favor with canners ? Because of its 
color ? It is the best canning corn known, and we feel 
sure that an enterprising canner can build up a fine special 
market in it. If its merits once become known, it is 
certain to be prized and sought in preference to other 
varieties. 
Hay Loader.— I am asked by a subscriber to the R. 
N.-Y. whether I still like the hay loader; if it will take 
hay from a swath clean; if it is durable, and if it will pay 
on a farm where 40 or 50 acres of hay are cut. I have used 
the Keystone loader for three years, I value it very 
highly. Indeed, I would almost as soon dispense with the 
mower as with the loader. It often pays tremendously to 
rush the hay into the barn. With the loader this is pos- 
