Show I MILLIONS OF DOLLARS LOST ANNUALLY I BECAUSE FARMERS DO NOT SAVE MANURE I M Q 4 wt wa The Manure Spreader Gives an Even and Rapid Distribution Prepared by the United States Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment of oC Agriculture Have you rou any idea how much stable manure probably manure probably the best fertilizer In Inthe inthe the world world world-Is is wasted in the United States every year I Figuring on the basis of commercial fertilize values alues each horse or mule produces each year ear 27 worth of manure each ench head of ca cattle 20 O worth each hog 58 8 S worth and each sheep 5 55 Going back ten years and taking the figures of the 1910 census this would figure out about Estimates by the United States department of ot agriculture indicate that probably about a fourth of this Is waited wa Farmers are constantly confronted with the problem problem-of at maintaining soil fertility At this time following the war period when an unusual strain was placed on American farms the pr problem J m E-m Is more acute than usual and the time waste manure assumes a more serious seri sent ous us a aspect Of course all the manure C cannot be saved Some of ot It at the best hest must b be lost loht But millions mil of ot dollars worth cf of it il could be saved with practically no added e expense pense and with comparatively comparatively little outlay of time and effort The cheapest and best way to handle manure where convenient Is to haul It to the field and spread It dally daily or at least every two or or three e days nys In Inthis Inthis Inthis this way If It plenty of bedding be used hoed practically all the valuable cons constituents constituents con con- of the manure are aIe saved sa since leaching after the manure Is s on nr arable able land merely serves to put the fertilizing materials where they ought to be In this way too loss through heating or fire fire Is avoided Concrete Pit Is Ideal Many farmers however are fire not so situated as to make It profitable for them to handle manure In this way For such farmers the concrete manure pit offers an Ideal deal way of ot saving ma ma- nure Such a pit need not entail great grent e expense A pit three feet deep t t twelve v ho feet long and six feet wide with walls and floors five fi Inches thick will serve the needs nr-eds of the time average farm In ground that does not cave In only an inside form will be needed for such a pit except where tho the concrete extends a n few inches above the ground to prevent prevent pre pre- vent flooding by surface water The floor should be r re enforced with woven- woven wire fencing put In after about two Inches of cement has been laid Ind the section of ot fencing being cut long enough to bend up a few Inches nt al either end Into the side walls alls When the re enforcing has been put In the remaining three inches of the floor Is laid and the forms for the side walls wails set set setup up and used immediately Use one part cement two of sand and four of screened gravel A pit of ot this kind Is large enough to hold the accumulation accumulation accumulation ac ac- ac- ac of manure on the average average average aver aver- age farm until such a time as It cnn can he be hauled conveniently to the field nod and spread Another good way to save manure especially in the case of hogs or of beef cattle is to have fi tt paved concrete-paved feed lot preferably under a shed roof root Where Where- the farmer cannot afford a n paved floor a cheap open feeding shed mn may be made to serve the purpose very well if abundant bedding Is used to absorb the valuable liquid manure In such a feeding lot or shed the manure manure manure ma ma- nure Is allowed to gather un under er the feet of the animals each days day's bedding bedding bed hed ding being strewn over the wel welL welL- tramped accumulation below Some farmers using this s system stem arrange their feed racks so that they can be raised from time to time snaking mal it po possible to feed till several feet of solidly ly packed manure has hns accumulated accumulated under the shed It has been shown that manure manue suffers little from heating and leaching when handled In to Inthis Inthis I this wa way The rhe feeding shed Serves the purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose of giving the general farm or orthe orthe the time cattle beef-cattle farm something of ot the advantage In the matter of manure saving held by the time Intensive dairy farm It has been shown by farm management surveys that the manure saved on the American farm tarm under present conditions is almost exactly exactly exactly ex ex- proportional to the number of ot animals fed under cover on the farm and that the time manure of ot animals not stabled has very little effect on yields except In cases where field crops are oft off or otherwise pastured down or where pasture Is used In a rota ro ro- ro- ro ta tation There Is s a bulletin of the United States department of agriculture agriculture- Farmers' Farmers Bulletin No devoted devoted to the handling of barn barnyard ard manure It will be sent free to applicants |