National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1866-09-07
FARM, GARDEN a KITCHEN.
Top DRESSING AFTER HAVING

oP-DRESSING AFTER HAVING
Some of the best dairy and grass
farmers of Massachusetts apply the
well pulvcrized barnyard manure
upon their meadows soon after the
first crop &c hay is taken off, while f.
others do it Immediately after the /.
second crop is cut. and some Others |
still later, most Of them spreading /
it soon after it is carried out. Others |
still wait until Spring and then ap- (
ply it to the land that is dry enough .
to drive on to'at that season with .
out cutting it up; the latter claim /
ing that the Spring is the best time .
to top-dreSS moving lands. The
american Agy'icUiiW'ist tavorS early F..
top-dressing as seen by the following
extract:
" First, it is a mulch to the expos
ed roots and tender shoots, defend
ing them from the Scorching rays Of
the sun. preventing the drying of the
surface of the ground. and retaining
in itself the moisture Of rains and
dews. Second. it furnishes at once
stimulating food to the plant cut off
i'll its prime, enabling ii to recover
/ quickly from the check it receives
] H. t,-t,i .II *. NJ al ia
many grasses. 1t is necessary TO
/ cut grass Just at that time. when
cutting does the plant the most in
! jury. namely, when it has eXcrtcd all
/ the strength of its nature in the pro
ductiOn of flowers, and in the prep
aration for procuring seed. a little
later, when the seed is formed many
grasses begin to store III their roots
material which they draw upon the
following spring. and i'll which the
vigor and vitality, even. Of the plant
is maintained through all the vicis-
STUDIES of the season. Timothy is Il
striking example of this. Third,
the manure, exposed as it is to moist
urc and warmth. rapidly decOmpos-
/ eS. 1t is soon covered by the grow
1 ing grass and contributes to its
growth during the remainder of the
season, and soon disappears from the
surface altogether. Fourth it ordin-
arily induces growth which war
rants cutting a heavy aftermath,
! and sometimes third cutting, with
out injuring the sward."
a correspondent of the Mark
Lane (Eng.) Express says:
; "All sorts of opinions diverse
enough are held as TO the periot
when grass lands should be manur
i, ed; some maintaining ANY time
may be chosen, and graphical,
enough saving that amy quantity
may be given, aud that it is scarccl,
!, possible to give too much. This,o
course, refers to the tarm-yard ma
e nure or dung; when artificial o
e portable manurcS are used. the hes
e time for their application is in tn
spring. Autumn manuring witt
o dung seems to be the most in favo
c and justly so, especially if the dun
: is long and not easily asSimilate
= with the crop. One great advant
s age-and it is not always thought {
q obtained by top-dreSsing Of mead
II oWs with long manure in autumn i
Il the protection or shelter yielded b.
Il it to the grass in severe froSts O
L ! t,n nt t,y
+ ton to this maintain that fully on'
r half of the advantage obtained b
e autumn top-dressing of grass lands
+ is owing to the shelter given to til
le plants during trostS, by the compa
10 ativcly bulky manure
N FATTENING SWINE.-Thcre
n. sound sense in the following take
10 from an old work. called "Countr
Int Farm
of The more quiet and comfortable
". hogs are kept, the more rapidly wi
lr they take on fat 1.-The hogs whiC
10 You intend to keep in and fat, sha
Is not come forth at their sly, bciI
alone and free from others. neith
shall they have any light but at II
IL door. which is made to go in at. {,
n to dress them. The care about the
II is not 50 great as other cattle cXccI
&c ing only the keeping of them clca
ut and knowing how to make the
pr good meat, SO long rs until they Il
AZ fat. for after that they will lose eve
lu day some Of their meat, for they a
y, sometimes seen to heap up SUI
nj quantities Of fat upon their live ilc
ne as that there are some hogs found
-, foot and Il half thick of lard"
of \ CONSCIENTIOUS NOTER.-T
I'M following story is told Of Rcvo'
or tionary soldier, who was running
ed Congress. 1t appears that he W
'or opposed by n much younger mG
in who had never " been to the war
ne and it was wont of - Revolutionar
er- to tell the people of the hardshi
Try he endured. Says he:
ed Fellow citizens, ! have foug
&c and blcd for my country. help
III. whip the British and Indians.
,i Il. Al al. L., a..