Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-02-11
agrirultural.
BurYing Manure.


Of burying manure. Some hold that il
sinks in the soil, is washed DOWN. ard
by the teaching rains, and should there.
fore be applied nesr or at the surface.
Others assert that lis volatile and most
valuable parts rise by fermentation. and
that consequently il should be buried
deep. Now il usually happens thai
when doctors disagree, that both are
partly wrong but in the present instance,
they are both little in the right and a
great deal in the wrong
Manure usually STAYS very nearly
where il is put. If buried near the sur
face, il remains near The surface il buried
deep. there il remains if plowed under
in large Jumps, il has little power 10 rise,
sink, or in any other way 10 inlermix it.
self and hence the reason that pulveriza-
ton or narrowing before manure is turned
under gives result in large crops.
The power which clay has t. absorb
the fsrtiizing portion of manure, is very
great. Soil which possesses a medium
amount of clay, or loan, with medium
degree of tenaci;y, will absorb all tina, is
valuable in ord nary yard marure. equal
to nearly their own bulk. Fory loads OF
manure TO the acre, form heavy coat
ing; yet, this is only one Lead TO four
square rods. constituting depth, when
spread, Of only one third Of an inch.
Consequently, when a coating of forty
loads to the acre is plowed under, the
volatile parts have only to pass one-lhird
of an inch or so, before they are al! alb
sorbed by the soil. Hence the error of
surprising that they can possibly n ordi
nary soils, rise or sink to any practica bic
depth. And hence, also, the great i'm
portance of mixing manure very intimate
ly through all parts oflhe soil, if plants
are TO &c, the full benefit, and not be over
fed at one part of their roots and starved
at another.
There are many proofs at the correct
ness Of the position here taken. We
have made large piles of compos consist
ing of one.,hird rich manure and two>
thirds of loan and turf; yet all the odor
was completely retained, and not the
slightest portion passing off could be per.
ceived BY the smell. We have buried
large dead animals, with coating of only
six inches of loan not the faintest indi.
catisn of the decomposition below ever
reaching the surface. On the other hand,
the soil which forms the bottom of ma.
nure yards, is mot found even within a
fw inches of the surface to lie al all en-
riched by the piles of fertility which rest
upon it.
The true rule for burying manure, is to
place it at jus, such depth in he soil as
The roots of the crop usually extend,
which will vary with different plants.
Some OF the grasses, for instance, form a
turf very near the surface, and hence an
solumn top dressing will soak in enough
10 benefit them essentially. Glover roots
run deeper, and this crop is consequently
but little benefited by top dressings when
Of much size, except so far as they ope.
rate in keeping the surface moist. The
roots of trees are still deeper, and they
derive but little advantage. except from
manures well spaded or worked in
They. however, possess an important
advantage over annual and perennial root
ed plants by continuing in growth for
successive years, those roots which hap-
pen to run into the region of fertility,
soon throw out numerous fibres, and Sc.
cure an amount Of nourishmeni, of which
annual plants in consequence of their
more limited powers Of extension, are not
able TO avail themselves.
There nte. however, not many crops
which do otneed the full depth nffurded
by ordinary blowing and hence the best
practice Cor nearly all kinds of culture, is
10 spread the manure well, harrow mos,
thoroughly. in order 10 break it as finely
as possib e, and at the same time to mix it
intimately with the surface then turn it
under by ordinary blowing, and the lower
half of the inverted earth will furnish a
thoroughly enriched bed for the roots to
penetrate. If greater depth of fertility
is needed than ordinary blowing affords.
the coat Of narrowed manure may be
thrown under ten or twelve inches by
means of double mulboard or Michigan
plow and then another coat of manure
spread, narrowed and plowed under by a
light or gang plow. The young plants of
The crop are thrown rapidly forward by
the upper stratum of manure, and at late
stage Of growth, are equally stimulated by
the lower stratum