Page 34

WISCONSIN FARMERS' INSTITUTE.
found that the loss was sixty-two
per cent., or an average of fifty-two
per cent. In the two seasons, more
than half of its value. Now, the
question for us to settle is this-will
we lose anything like that amount if
we spread it upon the surface of our
fields. If we lose more, then perhaps
it would not be good policy.
Mr.   Briggs-When    Mr.   Scott
spreads this manure on the surface,
does he plow it under in the spring,
or does he take off a crop of grass or
pasture that one season?
Mr. Scott-With fairly fine ma-
nure we produce good results upon
the grass crop, but my practice has
generally been to plow it under for
corn or potatoes; I have done both,
however, and have had good results
from both practices.
Mr. Lyman-Have you ever had
good results from manuring your
clover and plowing It after you take
a crop of clover off of it with a suc-
cessive crop of corn?
Mr. Scott-Yes.
Mr. Arnold-I get the best re-
sults by hauling out the manure
whenever I have it, all that I can, but
we make so much of it that we can-
not haul it out at all times of the
year, so all there is left in the barn-
yard is put in piles. We square the
sides of this and make it as solid as
possible, and then put that out In the
fall of the year on winter wheat,
thereby starting a good crop of
clover. I maintain that if there is
any time that clover needs help, like
a young animal, it is when it is
young, so that it can get a good, long
root, and get well started. I never
yet had a failure of a crop handled
in that way. Manure the clover and
then the rest of the crops will take
care of themselves.
The Chairman-Mr. Arnold made
one good point with reference to the
coarse manure upon the farm. We
all have considerable manure from the
littAr that In n1led in the yard in the
spring-straw and bits of stalk. Now,
that is not in fit shape to plow under,
and if it b firmly piled up and nicely
rquared, it will give satisfactory re-
sults. First, put up the coarse stalk.,
straw and such things, apply a lttle
land plaster, and keep it piled up. I
think it is better to get It out of the
yard entirely.
Mr. Arnold-Do you not have trou-
ble in heating In that way?
The Chairman-No; the land plas-
ter tends to neutralize that; apply lib-
erally of land plaster.
Mr. Scott-If Mr. C. P. Goodrich
were present I think he would my
that he applies such manure to his
pasture land.
A Member-Mr. Goodrich doen't
do any yard feeding, and I don't see
any occasion for having It In the
yard.
Supt. McKerrow-You must not for-
get the sheep man. He must have a
good large yard for the sheep.
The Chairman-And the steer man,
too.
Mr. Convey-I think that where
you have yards adjacent to the told
it is a good deal better to let youm
stock exercise on the land where you
expect to raise the crop, and you will
see that that land will be very much
enriched. It is better than to keep
the stock in a small yard.
Supt. McKerrow-We will accept
your amendment except for sheep;
for two or three muddy weeks you
must have them In the yard.
The Chairman-About the cow, too,
it Is possible that a cow cannot be
turned into the field in the spring
sometimes, but I do like to have my
cows in the yard, enclosed by a tight
fence, lying in that yard very deep In
the straw; It may not be the best
way, but it is what I have practiced.
Mr. Convey-Mr. Scott said that
barnyard manure compared favorably
with commercial fertilizers in regard
to the fertility, and he might also
have spoken more of the humus Xo-
U
own wow to