Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-25
Ton-dressing Meadows in Winter.

A thin dressing of clay put upon mead
ow, where the soil is sandy, or sandy
loan, or for the most part muck, and not in
very good state of fertility. will some
times increase the growth Of grass so large
Iy, that meadow hardly worth moving
will yield three tons of excellent hay per
acre Sometimes when grading has been
done, or new fence is built, the earth is
scattered in depressions on the sward near
by, and the result almost always in a large
increase in the growth of the grass. We
have frequently observed punches, and
small patches Of tall, heavy grass OF lux
uriant growth, near stakes and posts, that
had recently been set, small quantity OF
the earth having been scattered, when the
workman was digging the holes. Taking
the hint from these, it is easy to see how
teams and laborers may be employed prof
itaGlv. when there is snow on the ground,
or it is too cold to engage in labor that re-
ouires warm weather. If a man has a SAN
DIV meadow yielding but a small burden of
grass, il will pay we'll to haul clay, or al
most any kind of earth half a mile to top
dress such ground When the sleighing is
good; a team will haul two tons at one load
with ease. If the soil be of peaty char
acter, two tons Of cold stiff clay spread in
the winter over an acre of four square rods,
will usually produce maximum result
Should the clay be plowed, or spread up III
large clods, let them be spread on the
snow or ground, and the frost and rain will
reduce them to fine and mellow condition
before the growing season commences, so
that little labor with a shovel will cover
the entire surface with an excellent top
dressing, the good effect of which will be
perceived for several years, in the larger
quantity of grass and hay, and in the bet
ter quality.
! An active man with a good team will
haul. on an average, one ton of earth an
hour half a mile, when the travelling is such
that the team may haul two tons per load.
And if half ton be spread on each square
rod, it will require eighty tons to top-dress
an acre The expense Of the teams for
hauling need not be computed, because
they must be kept in winter, whether they
work or not, and it will be better for them
/ to labor than to remain idle Then allow
4 ing a man one dollar per day, il he hauls
/ only four loads per day, making eight tons,
I it will cost ten dollars to top-dress one
acre The grass produced by -uch dress
/ ing over and above what would have grown
in a single season, will ordinarily more
than pay all this expense. But, in the win
ter, when farmers have little to do besides
their daily chores, they can work a few
hours every day at top-dressng in this
manner, and it will cost them even less than
we have reckoncd, as it will be better for
both men and teams to labor moderately,
than to remain idle When there is pre-
ponderance of clay in the soil, sand, or san
/ dy loan, or muck may be hauled instead Of
clay. The frosts and rains will almost
surely reduce it fine before the growing
season commences, and it will answer the
double purpose of a mulch and fertilizer.
When the snow is off the ground On mild
day, the Jumps, if there are many, may be
broken up and spread by a harrow turned
upon its back.