Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-11-08
ManuriaI Resources Of the Farm.

It is good maxim Of husbandry, that
good farm, like a good joint Of meat, only
requires bastiug with its own dripping" Or
IN other words, that it will furnish Of itself
sufficient fcrtiIizing material to keep up its
maximum productiveness. AS general rule
We may rely upon this statement, and we
propose here to offer few hints on some of
the manurial resources Of the farm.
The first grand resource of the farmer will
be the ploughing under OF greensward-the
thicker and heavier the moro effective--to
enrich the soil for other crops. Without
grass as q manure. we should find it much
more difficult to keep up the fertility of our
farms. No other crop is 50 constant in
srouth-carly and late, and under all kinds
Of treatment--as that Of the different grasses
10 other returns 50 great burden Of vege-
able growth to the soil, and at the same
lime furnishes 50 valuable supply Of food
.or stock, in both summer and winter forage,
as this much neglected. yet everywhere pres
eut, product OF the soil.
The growing clover and the grasses lie at
the very foundation of profitable farming, as
may be seen from several points of yiow,--
Md first, as ADORE limited, ploughing under
\ thick heavy grass sYard furnishes an ample
uQnuring for several successive grain crops
The decomposition Of OF the abundant roo is
and stems of the grass supplies nutrition for
..rowths of different character, and having
greater money value tothe farmer. Hence
!, may be good policy for the farmer to give
large share of his labor and attention to
producing heavy growth Of grass on all
.auds when devoted to this crop, knowing
hat this most cheaply and effectively pre-.
Hares his soil fer the production of other
rops.
In another point, we sec that grass-grow-
ing tends to improvement, when it is produc-
ed for the consumption Of animals upon the
farm. We can have no better resource for
manure than in the practice OF stock-fecding,
and especially is this true Of sheep and fat
:oning stock, and in less degree Of all the
animals Of the farm. Indeed, it has become
IN axiom of husbandry that stock keeping
must have place in the management Of eve.
~ farm to render it profitable for a course Of
years.
4 second grand resource Of the farmer for
manurc-for keeping up and increasing the
fertility of his FARMS not only to pasture
and fodder stock, but to fattOn them by the
aid of tho grain products of tho farm. This
course will not only largely increase the
amount Of manure but will give it, under
proper management, much greater effective
value as fertilizer. 1t was maxim Of an
excellent farmer, Mr.. Coke late Earl of
Leicester, that the value Of farm yard ma
nure is in proportion to what it is made of.
If cattle eat straw alone, the dung is straw
alone the cattle are strawthe fam is straw
and the farmer is straw-they arc all straw
together" And to came to an authority at
nome, John Johnston has advocated thi,
course as the most effective and profitable
for improving the value of our farms
High feeling" says he, would make higher
nanuring, by both making larger quantity
and much better quality"
4 third grand resource may he found il
the inexhaustibe muck beds 50 abu ndant it
most sections Of the country. These contain
vast supplies Of "highIy concentrated veg
etable food, not only partly cooked, but sea
soncd,' to quote Danas Muck Manual -
1t has been found by many extensive and re
pcatcd experiments, that lin the words o
Professor Johnston,) " 1t is only necessary tt
mix half-dried peat with any substance tina
undcrgoes rapid spontaneous decomposition
when it will more or less become infected
with the same tendency to decay, and viii
thus be rendered capable of ministering t,
the growth Of cultivated plants"
The fcrtiizing matters allowed 70 rur
waste upon most farms might supply anothe
valuable resource for improving their pro
Effectiveness. The liquid manure of stock
he Stops Of the kitchen and wash-room, tn
contents Of priyies, refuse bones, and waste
animal matter-thosc, and many other things
numbering our bacf-yards and befouling on
cellars and store rooms, would form a compos
aeap Of great richness and no inconsiderabl
value. But we must leave the subject wit
4ur interested readers, hoping each will Loo
about him, and see what are and how he ca
best apply the manurial resources Of hi
arm.