The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-09-01
AGRIC ULTURAL.
Top Dressing of Grass and Grain.

Top Dressing OF tSraSs ana Grain.
Upon the regular subject of the day, Prof.
MAPEs made the following remarks:
The importance of this subject, Nr. Chair
man, must he my excuse if prolix in my re-
marks, but when we remember that the crops
which are to be improved by top-dressing are
annually greater in value Of all the precious
metals, it may plead my excuse for prolixty.
Indeed, in my belief the advantages to he de-
rived from the iudcous top-dressing of these
crops will be more than equal to any one or
the crops now grown, and would be very much
greater than the value Of the cotton crop.--
The value Of the live stock of the United
States. at this date, is not less than $780,
100000, and this will be increased BY any in
crease OF the grass and grain crops. More
than l2O 100000 bushels of wheat are annu-
ally grown, 100000 bushels OF rye, I5O,-
100000 bushels o. oats, 100000 bushels of
barley, 100000 bushels Of buckwheat, 800,
100000 lbs. of butter, lO5 100000 lbs. of
cheese, l4,O000o0 tons of hay, and these, it
will be remembered, are in addition to the
crops Of Indian corn, potatoes, and many 9TH
er crops produced, nearly equa;ng them in
value.
The effects derived from some kinds of top
dressing now in common use among our far
rners are observed, but the cause of their ac-
! tion Is not clearly understood Thus the
top-dre ssing with stable Iuanures is supposed
to be of material value from the manural
property OF the material thus thrown on the
surface of the ground This is not true: the
beneficial effect simply arises from the action
: n mi oh nd niyht ba
ced by much cheaper means 1t will be re-
memoered that the organic portions of the
manures thus placed are wasted during their
decomposition, while the inorganic portions
alone find their way into the soil, and these
might be supplied at onc-:erth the carriage
and handling Of the manures so used. At
least 80 per cent. of the true value Of such
top.dressingS as manure is wasted when SO
: used. The same or nearly the same results
would be attained by covering the ground
with any other mulch This practice is we'll
] known among English farmers, where it re-
. ceIres the name oe GGrneyism, from the name
5 OF the operator who first applied it. We are
). far from tisputiny the value Of a mulch as
e such, but such valuable constituents as exist
/, in the more decompo,ole portions of stable
\ q
e very small portion of the inorganic consttu-
i ents TO the soil. \ coating of leaves from
t the woods, salt-marsh hay, sedge, or anv 9TH
e er substances which would protect the sur
face Of the ground from sudden changes of
e atmosphere and prevent its freezing at so
early date in the fall, or losing its moisture
t and heat by the too direct contact of winds,
/ would anawer all the purposes to be derived
from top-dressing of stable manure. All
/ Wi! recoect tiiat if a board cover grass dur
. ing winter. and be removed in early spri NC.
that the growth of the grass on the part SO
, 'o'ered during the following summer will be
much CREATE than in any other parts of the
field Therefore, whatever top, dressing NAV
ls'd muIching may still be appealed to by
, those farmers who have cheap materials to
use for such purposes. All this, however, is
but incidenta! to the true subject of top-dres
sing may thus stated Young plants are un-
able to avail OF the inorganic matter OF the
subsoiI during the early stages of their growth.
The surface soil may nave become denuded
OF these inorganic constituents, and without
their presence and approPria ton by the young
plant Its organism may not be sufficiently
perfect, ata early stage, to secure healthy
growth. In addition to this fact, the organic
matter in the soil ceases, late in the season.
TO decompose for want of sensible heat; am
in early spring, from this cause, the supply Of
organic pabulum may be insufficient Herce
the necessity for top-dressings, centaining
both inorganic materials in soluble form &
organic stimulants to secure their fappropra-
ton. From the position they occupy on the
surface passing down in solution they come
in contact with youRg roots, which otherwise
could not reach their proper food; for if plac
ed beneath these roots, except so far as they
could be reached during the process of eva
poratton, the pabulum would be beyond their
reach; whereas, when placed at or near the
surface, the humidity Of the soil places these
top-dressngs slowly in solution, pervading its
whole surface, and gradually sinking so as to
meet these roots, and be absorbed by them
during their downward passage. During the
tall d. early winter, while growth is sluggish,
and sufficient increase ia insured to enable
the young plants to withstand the action of
the winter, and after the process of growth
ceases, their roots become receptacle acting
as store-house until required for spring use.
FoP-dressings in the spring stimulate the
plants to an earlier growth than would be at
tainable during the low temperature of the
first spring month. Indeed, the action of TOP
dressings is to make the slight amount of soil
occupied by young plants he representative
for n time Of the whole depth of soil whch
the perfect plant will afterward prevade, and
in the choice OF top-dressings strict reference
should be added both TO the requirements of
the soil and of the plants Thus, a soil de-
hcent of potash, or soluble phosphates, can
not raise full crops of wehat or grass. When
short Of sulphuric acid and lime the clever
crop cannot fully succeed; and thus with each
crop, its leading requirements, if absent fren
the soil, should be added, and with these such
stimulants as will cause their appropriation b.
the growing plants. The amount of stim