Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-06-09
Surfs.e Manuring,

| Inc following arLlcle on surface udnufiHS,
by Mr.. Bright, of Philadelphia, we copy from
the Gardeners Monthly: 81 ~-e 111
The agricultural circles are very much ex-
ercised at the present moment with the ques-
ton whether it is better to apply manure in
a partially rotten state upon the surface Of
the earth, weeks or months before they are
required tor crops, or to decompOse them in
| heaps, and pillow them as soon as applied, at
planting time.
The best writers, botk practical and theo-
retical, in England and America, seem to in
cine to the aforementioned practice, in refer
ence particularly to grass and grain; the
| best effects are shown to have resulted from
this method of the application of surface
manure.
The practice of top-dressing, or of surface
manuring, has long been the fayorite method
employed by all intelligent gardeners within
the circle of my acquaintance. We have
long ago learned that masses of rich, nitro
genous manures are applied more successfully,
land less injuriously) by top-dressing either
in solid or liquid form. o. -5
Nature never manures herplants with crude
| masses of concentrated fertilizing substances;
but imparts her stimulating and mineral food
| IN state of the most minute division almost
inhnitesimal,1 chiefly from the surface of the
earth No wonder SO many fruit trees have
! been killed, so many fruit trees rendered bar
rem by the excess Of wood, in consequence
| of the too heavy manuring at their roots so
universally recommended by writer's on gar
dening and horticulture.
The great objection to surface manuring is
founded upon the probable loss of ammonia,
caused by the exposure of decaying manures
upon the surface of the earth. But this loss
has been shown, by sound reasoning and by
facts deduced from personal experience, to
be much less than commonly apprehended,
while the benefits arising from surface ma
nuring in other respects more than counter
balance any possible loss of ammonia from
this practice.
In the first place, when manures are ex-
posed upon the surface of the earth. even in
hot weather, decomposition no longer goes on
so rapidly as when the same manures are
kept in heap, and the ammonia that is pro-
| duced is gradually carried into the soil by
rains. The other soluble substances, as pot
ash, lime, the phosphates, ETC., are, of course,
not lost, because they are not volatile.
Nor are these soluble and valuable sub
stances lost to plants by being carried into
the soil before they are needed by growing
plants. 1t has been conclusively shown by
eminent scientific authorities, that any good
soil, containing q fair proportion of clay and
carbon, is capable of taking up and effectu-
ally absorbing ammonia, lime, potash, soda,
| etc, in soluble form, so that little, if any,
passes off in the underdrainage water of
such soils. These substances, it is true, may
wash from the surface, but they cannot pass
through good soil and go off into the drain
age water.
By surface manuring we mulch the ground
and render it cooler in summer and warmer
in winter. Mere shade is an important ele-
ment in culture, so important that many wri-
tiers have thought shade alone to be equiva-
lent to manure. A piece of soil heavily
shaded by surface manuring actually decom-
poses like a manure heap; that is it under
| goes sort of putrefaction or chemical change,
which sets free its chemical constituents, I'M
locks, as it were, its locked up manurial
treasures, and fits its natural elements to be
the food of plants. Darkness, moisture and
air are conditions required for vegetable and
mineral decomposition. These conditions
are produced in the soil by surface manuring
Then, again, when the surface manure de-
composes, its elements are washed into the
soil, in state of solution precisely fitted to
meet the wants of plants, and they become
themselves active agents in promoting further
decomposition and chemical changes in the
entire body of the soil.
Manure, then, | say, chiefly upon the sur
face. Do not waste your manures by mixing
them deeply with the soil. Plant shallow
Keep roots of all trees, plants and vines as
near the surface as possible. There are
weighty reasons for the position assumed in
the last sentence, which have not space now
to enumerate. | say again plant shallow
Let your soil be deep and dry, but plant near
the surface. TO farmers | would say, manure
upon the surface as much as possible. Top
dress your grass, after moving in July or
August, under a burning summer sun top
dress in the fall, before and during the
autumn rains; manure the surface while the
snow is on the ground while the March winds
blow, and while the April rains fall. Manure
your grass, instead of your corn and wheat
broadcast, at any time when you have ma
nure and leisure, and l will guarantee that
you will be abundantly satisfied with the
result
To fruit growers | would say, do not fill
| your soil with manure before you plant trees
grape vines etc. Plant in good natural soil,
and manure from the surface, spring and fall,
literally and properly, and | will guarantee
you success far greater than if you plant in
holes and trenches filled with manure, as the
custom is. Surface manuring and mulching
are the true doctrines. / am sure of it.
WnTED POTATOES FOR PLANTING,-Some
writer's have recommended the planting of
dried potatoes as preventive of the rot
A Pennsylvania correspondent of the Rural
Ner Yorker says:
l once overlooked few rows dropped,
which remained unoticed and consequently
uncovered during several days, and not only
wilted but considerably dried These had
the advantage i'll the strong and healthy ap-
pearance of the tops throughout the season,
add in the tubers at digging, over those COW
cred fresh from the pit. Cut the potatoes
and scatter on little plaster, to prevent
| bleeding, and allow to wilt if time and cir
| cumstances will admit.
AMOUNT OF BUTTER AND CHEESE IN Milk
According to the reports OF several of the
associated cheese dairies, an average of ten
to fourteen pounds of milk is required to
yield pound of cheese. One pound of but
! ter requires on an averave about fifteen
quarts of milk. This would give from the
same amount of milk about three pounds of
cheese to one of butter. A dairyman in
western New York, after repeated trials of
making cheese and butter from the same
quantity and quality of milk, has found the
above proportion to be pretty uniformly
maintained. Occasionally the cheese slightly
exceeds the given rate. At present prices
cheese would give the best proft.-American
AgrnnAurut.
r.