Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-06-10
0fe1)oro1r0 1go1qaetrer,

out a, any lime, AMI spread on clover III ahy ''"'e
These Summer applications, indeed, are nol 50
beneficial as il earlier, because having less 'iine
left 10 act. But ii is much Better thus 10 apply Inc
manure, than to let il be wasted, as il would DC on
any plan Of keeping j! on hand.
There is another mode al top-dressinS cioVer
with DRY wheat straw, which is an excellent ano
economical application, whenever the quantity
of straw is greater than needed for food or litter,
sis generally the case on all good wheat farms.
When The thrashing machine is in operation, aud
the carts are bringing in wheat nom the held Tor
its supply, it requires much labo. 10 remove ara
10 stack the lhrashed straw, as well as 70 supply
The sbesves for thrashing. When the rick has
been buil 50 high, that the labor Of bringing straw
upon is he heaviest, then il will be even less
labor to send much Of the straw back 10 The feld
in return loads, moi full enough 10 require mlich
trouble 10 put into the carts The loads should DC
dropped on The poorer parts Of the field upon
which the wheat grew, and which suppose 10 be
sci with clover, sown the same year. The hands
kent in the field TO load the carts with wheat may
have enough spare time TO spread the heaps OF
straw. But If NOT the spreading should be done
soon, and evenly and thinly enough moi, smoth'
any of the young clover. The improvement will
be very nantes, before Winter. And il spot
60 covered was an old edH, with scarcely any soil
len and Of course verg poor. the clover thereon
will show 10 the line Of the covering decided SUI
periority over the better land surrounding. Be-
fore August Of the next succeeding year, the straw
will be so well roite under The shade ofihe cover
inc clover that il will offer not The least obsiruc
lion 10 The plough, in breaking up The land for
wheat.
There are other applications OF manure on The
surface longer and better known than that on
clover and which are advocated and pracised by
some farmers as the best modes Of APPLICATION
One OF these is in winter, upon wheat When
circumstances are favorable, and 10 limited ex-
ten., this is jndicous practice; but it cannot be
extended far; it requires manures we'll advanced
in decomposition and ready 10 act quickly. The
dressing should 10, &c heavy. II il Should rot
nc, ca rly or strongly enough 10 produce perter'-
Bile benefit on The wheat, j, will al least anly
serve 10 secure the standing Of The young clover,
which, on poor land, or IL dry season, would
otherwise be apl 10 fall. The chief obstacle 10
this mode OF lop.dressing is The usual soiness OF
The wheat land in winter, which fJFbids caring
upon ii, except when fr,7 n hari.
A much more extensive practice is top-dress-
ing, and with unrotted manure, on corn, applied
from the time OF planting 10 as late as when the
plants are several inches high. | have pursued
this plar 10 considerable extent, in seyerSl
crops. Bu, judging merely from one careful
comparative trial OF my own making and one
other reported by another farmer Of my acquaint-
ance infer that the effects OF manure thus ap-
piled are less beneficial than when the manure is
ploughed under before planting The corn. Sill,
there is mnch labor saved in the former compared
10 The latter application. And this saving may
fully compensate for any inferiority Of effect.
( Bu, my own experience in top-dressing either
wheat or corn, is 60 limited, that opinions found
ed ,hereupon are entitled 70 very lule respect.
MAY 2i,h, lS45. r.