The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1859-11-09
FALL TOP DRESSING.

Fail dressing Is a matter Of more impor-
tance to farmers who rely on their grass
lands for their principal source Of income.
than most agricultural economists, whether
theoretical or experimental, are aware.
Should we affirm that dressing of one cord
OF stable manure to an acre. or what is per.
haps better, its equivalent in cost in phas.
phates, guano, or some OF the concentrated fer.
tilizers. would, ii applied the last of Autumn,
Just before the growth as suspended for the
winter, produce more marked effect on the
crop Of hay, the next season, than quadruple
that amount would il applied in the Spring,
or at any other time, we should be consider
ed by many most hopeless book farmer and
theorizer. whose Imagination was more fer
tile IN facts than land under such treatment
would be in crops. The results Of the best
conducted experiments show. however, that
this would be moderate statement of the
beneficial effects of such course.
II is not pretended that the increase Of
grass the next season is owing TO the nutri-
ment derived directly from the application
oi the fertilizers. as so small a quantity as
not to be hardly perceptible in its direct in
huence as manure on small surface, when
applied to the crop in the early stages of It's
growth. will, IL used over large surface
10 the Fall. so conserve and husband the vital
lorces Of the plant, and the nourishment which
II derives from the atmosphere and the rain
and snow OF winter. that il will virtually
amount to large application Of stimulant
and food. The following is the moa,is ope-
randi. The whole force OF the application
Is expended on the alter-growth Of the grass,
which being short from the recent passage Of
the scyths, ran not assimlate the nutriment
thus forced upon il without sending up new
spires. 50 that the effect is a visible thicken.
ing OF this after.grpwth, which serves as a
cover and protection for the soil through the
winter. Now the atmosphere contains am.
monia. carbon and other principles of nutri.
ton which are brought down by the dews
and rain. but the voatile parts Of which are
liable TO rapid escape, unless some mode is
taken to tx them 10 contract with the plants
they are designed to nonrish. This is effected
by the dried and decsyed aftergro~th, partly
by Chemical absorption, and partly BY what
may be termed more 0t a mechanical effect,
and which is the most important There is
stratum Of air between the top Of the after
growth and the surface Of the soil. which is a
bad conductor, which being but little disturbed
by the winds, holds IN it, embrace All the yo.
latile nutriment which is brought down IRON
the great atmospheric source above. An in
teresting illustration Of this, and one often met
with, may be seen in the sometimes tenfold a.
mount ut grass which springs up under apple.
tree brush. which hls been trimmed off IN the
Ent al gaI IN
Spring. No one for moment would suppose
that the brush acted as proper manure. By
furnishing sny ruod TO the vegetation beneath,
vet Il has sll the effect Of manure by helping
the grass TO save that which is brought from
other sources. The effect Of this kind Of
treatment has been the most marked after q
wlntfr, when much snnw has fallen, as snow
70 known 20 be most powerful absorbent Of
ammonla. which IS even apparent TO the SEN
srs, IN case il has lain on the ground any
length ai time. We are reminded in this
connection Of practice Of farmers in New
England, whUse effect il directly the opposite
Of this and the abandoning Of. which would
have precisely the same relative results as
the adopting Of top dressing. We refer to
late Fall feeding. by which the damage TO
the field must always exceed many fold the
advantage 10 the cattle. The after-gruwth
which they would destroy, even after the
frost has robbed il Of lis nutriment inr them,
would often be the mrans Of doubling the
crop Of the next season, IL allowed 20 re !.
main.
We once heard Il stated that single bag
Of phosphates applied on an acre as Fall top
dressing. caused tito gro,luce ton more hay
Than The land adjoining, and We have seen
precisely the same statement in regard 10 the
relative productiseness Of an acre where q
COW fed three or four weeks 10 the Fall. and
where il was allowed 10 remain untouched.
Exchange.