The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1857-11-18
From tho American Farmers Magazine.
MANuRES.

s
The present is the season when farmers in
general. and good farmers in particular,
scrape up and remove all manures, and give
them immediate application in top dressing,
or pile it for future use. How far either Of
the above ways Of disposing Of it, are pur-
sued with the strict economy Of good hus-
bandry, we shall not attempt to decide. Our
object, Just now, ia to tell Of a course we
have for several years adopted, and which
we have found productive Of very good re-
suits.
Our manure for next years corn crop
This is made up Of such as remained and
accumulated in the barn yard through the
summer, and is composed Of the drOppings
Of the animals and such other material as
comes to hand for the purpose. We draw it
to the ground where it is to be used the fol-
lowing year in September. and make il into
a pile as nearly conical as possible. The
object Of this is, 10 keep it compact, and in
shape to she'd rain, an object we consider
as important in manure-stack as in a hay
stack. In building our manure heap we
have plaster at hand, and every three or
four loads, (cords) we spread coat Of plas-
ter over the whole, and when the stack is
finished we give it covering Of plaster OF
the eighth Of an inch in thickness, and
here we leave it until spring, to find il "a q
beautiful condition at planting time. for
putting under the hill.
For top-dressing meadows, we spread the
same kinds of manure evenly upon the sur
face, as near as we can before the fall rains,
at the rate of four or five cords per acre.
We then give coat Of plaster at the rate o.
fifty pounds Git looks small in quantity) pei
acre, in this case the two ingredients aci
together. are actually worth more thar
double the quantity Of either would be i
used separate.
The foregoing system Of preparing and
IapplyiEs manures We have found TO be de
icldcd Improvement. We believe it is gene,
IraIly admitted that the action Of plaster
l(gYpsum) is greatest ON newly stocked ol
recently manured lands. This being 20, the
more the manure and plaster are incorpO.
rated the more each will help the other, and
the greater benefits will result. When they
are spread and sown on grass lands at III,
same time, then their ctiun must be III clos,
connection, and if put on when the rains O
autumn come in to their aid their effect vii
be early and strongly marked IN the coming
spring.
We might carry our experience one stcl
further. When manures are TO be appliel
as top-dressings, on grass lands, the quantity
may be greatly increased without any ma
terial diminution Of quality, by composing
muck, or indeed almost any absorbent soil
in the proportion Of one-half. Indeed, v,
lhayc tOp-dressed by simply taking cart
from the way-side, after removing the thir
sod, and spreading il over the meadow, il
the same proportion We would other manures
II lis fertilizing properties were not so grea
as guano, il possessed this quality: il cover
ed the exposed roots Of grass and furnishes
them soil in which to throw new fibres AM
Of course contributed to more abundan
future growth. Where manures are scarce
1t is certainly worth trying.
Yours truly,
wM. BACON.
gichnond. October 1, 1857.