Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1865-04-22
Surfacs Manuring.

Respecting surface mahurng, L nave
this to ssy, that where the manure lies
closely to the soil, Ga good common soil)
but little strength escapes l End it es.
pecially beneficial where the soil is coin.
pact, yet mellow, thus forming more
concentrated source Of attraction. l think
/ have seen the best success on soil where
clay largely prepondera,es. Clay, it is
now known, presume, beyond dispute,
has an affinity ior the principal fertilizins
gases.
have never known manure benefit land
sufficient to pay expense OF carriage and
spreading where it is put on late IN the
sprirg, and in Jumps, as have often seen
it prac'ised. Many farmers car, out their
manure, especially from the COW stable,
after their springs work is done, and then
roll the dry Jumps over the meadow
These ol,cays complain of the ineficency
or surface manuripg aud after few tri.
ais, abandon it.
Drawing out ia the early winter,ere the
snow is on the ground, is beneficial. My
ncighbor Smith, covered the knoll 10 this
way; the snow packed it down, and wheu
the sp'iog rains came, they held it down,
huggiug the sod close-a timothy sod of
two years standing. The result was that
tb, ,xoo ~,os rn,,o al ohlo 'rbo l;,o u.,
drawn wherever the manure extended, as
through rope had been drawn to mark
the difference. There we're coarser stalks,
and they were from ten to twelve inches
taller,and the beads the largest aud plump.
est ever saw. This was two years ago
when the season was very moist.
have seen manure thrown into heaps
in winter, aud left there till spring. 1t
proved damage to the crop. The ma
nurc was spread as soon as the frost was
out Of it, Weeds in this case seemed to
possess the soil.
A very fine effect fine always, so far
IS have seen it practised-is the spplica.
ton rather early in the fall, so that the
manure catches the rains, and some of the
warmth, and the grass gets start, SO as
to possess itself,s to speak of the manure
making it so much surface soil.
Bot here is the point. We sometimes
spp'y TOO thick, SO that the upper part OF
the manure goes, much Of it, into the at.
moshere the lower the ground gets
Our friend Wcting, 10 order to remedy
this Che had poor yellow knoll-drift
sbiDk), applied thin coat one year, close
to the ground and got good crop; the
next year he sppIied another, with still
greater effect. A man was formed by th,
first coat, and but little manure was visi
BILE. The second coat seemed to impair
all it's strength, as did the first. We N g
spread rather thin and close or we have
chance tn lose much of our manure. Whel
lis narrowed 10 or m,xed with soil, evel
If lightly, but thoroughly, a heavy Goa
no donbt will do-wilI do if the ground i
mixed with it to the depth Of the pIowe,
mellow soil. II not mellow, we have nev
er had good luck There must evdldentl,
be all attraction of the soil or the air ,whic
has DO att; action, will get its share Of tn
benefits o the manure.
We have, however, never known a Gro
to ial, when composed in good part
ground or muck, as in the case when con
posted. Here the application is soil ia
self.
We think no fatmer can object to th
excellent effect Of surface maouring, whe
the soil is dense mellow, ,aud the manu-
is finely and elos'Iy applied, and in Il
fall or early winter.
Country Gentleman.