Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-11-07
Agricultural.
Manuring the Soil in the Fall.

One OF the surest evidences Of skilful and tbtiftv
farm management msy be found wh,re every
Item oil labor is performed ut the ri4ht moment
where plowlng does not crowd upon the time
that ought to be devoted TO planting, nor plapt.
ing upon that which should be given to hoeipe-
and so GU through the season.
Where this order Of things is reversed, DELAY
steps IN al one lime and haste a, another. ard
they both bring such uncertainty that the golden
moment is rarely improved so that confusion, in.
stead OF system, marks all the operations OF the
isrm. Under such circumstances, %sloyenly and
wl'IeIul habits are contracted, which all he fam
ny, sooner or later, acquire, and they become
stamped upon TIE surroundings of the homestead
sc unmistekably as are the textures Of the land
scape.
10 order to avoid all this, the farmer must an
telpate bis work. Now, in the autumn, he must
thoughtiully look ahead, and see what he can do
to make his labor easier at a time When il must
be done al once, or not at all-such as planting
or haying, for instance. Q
These reflections bring us to the subject in
hand-maHuriny hs soil IN the fall. Two points
oil inquiry are pertinent, namely -
!. Can this work be done cheaper and bf,ter
now than in the spring?
Z. Viii tbs manure be worth more 10 the soil.
and produce better crops, il mingled with il now,
thai II left as it ordinarily remains, and applied
IN the springP
The first question needs no argument or Illus
tratlon. Every farmer knows what the effect
would be OF hauling a common ox.cart body full
OF wet manure over his moving or other grounds
IN the spring. Such a load would contain about
my bushels, and would weigh between one and
two tons, according to the condition Of the ma
nure. The ground at that season is usually
thrown up a little and made light by frost, and is
saturated with water, so that il is soft and spobgy.
Every hoof passing over it leaves IFS mark. so
would every load, such as vi have described and
several of them over the SAINT track would leave
ruts in the grass grounds that would never be
obliterated until it should be plowed.
In November, however, after a few cold nights.
nature has provided the farmer with something
nearly equal t5-the plank road or a continuous
railway over his farm, upon which he can convey
his heavy articles with comparative ease. lie can
now move on with large loads without straining
or discoursging hia team, or putting his own
shoulder to the wheel, or mutilating the fair
fields which be had laid down at much cost aud
care.
The question whether manure is more efficient
in the soil, placed there in the fall, than when de-
posted there in the spring, is one that requires
some investigation aud perhaps experiments. Un-
covered manure is always losing some portion Of
its valuable properties, SO long as it remains in
that positions they may be slight where it is 10
the cellar or IN large quantities. together; but
even then there is a constant loss. II all the
droppings OF the stock,-both solid and liquid
could be al once mingled with the soil upon which
crops are to be placed, we are of the opinion that
it would be more effective than il is as usually
applied This course, however, cannot be adopt
ed with any economy. But, generally, all the
manure that is accumulated during the summer
can be applied to the soil aud plowsd under in
the fall. Where this is done, and the land is
again plowed in the spring, we have found the
best seed beds and the most abundant crops that
we have ever seen. On lurning it over in April
or May, the soil was very dark, almos, black, and
remarkably fne and light. The mature seemed
to have had a wonderful effect upon it, not only
in increasing it by its own bulk, but ia throwing
1t up, somewhat as yeast raises the dough fl
maxim bread.
II the manure is plowed in while the ground is
warm, fermentation will Immediately,
and will be continued until soil and manure be-
come a homogeneous mass. The gases given of
from the manure in the process Of decompositio
permea,e the soil in every direct on, and proba
bly, have the effect OF separating its particles, ad.
hitting the air more freely into it, and thus rem
derirg il lighter and more bulky.
In this condition all the valuable properties oil
the manure are easily made soluble aud ready t
be appropriated BY the plants. On the othel
hand, II m%anuring is deferred until just befor,
planting, the process OF decomposition will IN
doubtedly be quicker than in tie fall, bu, %soarcel.
quick enough TO feed the rlants in the early stage
Of their growth. This is the princi al reason, "
take il, why so many farmers upply highly con
oentra,ed fer li6zers to the hill OF dril in planting
They are very fine, and readily made soluble, an
at once reach and feed the young plant.
We believe that manure applied and ploweI
under in the fall, will feed a larger number @
plants the succeeding summer than the tam
amour, will if applied in the sPring.-.Nts Eng
land Farmer.