Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-02-15
Top-Dressing Meadows.

We need more experiments In top dressing grass
lands. We must, however, remark at the outset,
that scattering straw in lunches manure in Jumps,
and compost in clods, is not top-dressing, or at
least not deserving of the name. The efficacy of
spreading manure finely and evenlylon the surface
is well known. If done early in autumn it is
found to be more efficient than when performed at
the beginning or during winter and it is more
useful in winter than when delayed till spring
There is no more than one reason for this differ
ence. One, well known one, is the solution and
washing down into the soil of the enriching parts
If the work is done early more time is allowed for
the full completion of this process by the whole
rains OF autumn winter and spring. Another
is the protection afforded to the grass plants
from cold and sweeping winds by the covering
spread above the roots When the top-dressing
is scattered early in autumn the protection and
enriching together and the tendency of the top
dressing to preserve moisture on the surface
causes Immediately rank growth of green grass
and this rank, green growth will often render the
dressed portion conspicuous from the rest when
seen long distance. This increased growth not
only renders the plants stronger at the root, but
gives them an additional covering against the cold
of winter.
So far, but little has been done in the way of
opdressing with other substances than fertilizers.
few experiments have, however, proved that the
mere mulching-the covering of the surface for
the purpose of protection, and for giving depth
and strength to the roots, has ACCOMPLISHED i'm
portant results. A. B. Dicknson's mode of spread
ing finely pulverized stratum of earth over his
meadows, by irrigating with muddy water, is well
known-by which he has obtained three tons of
hay and upwards per acre from lis large meadows.
striking experiment is mentioned in the Country
Gentleman, by correspondent at Peppereil, Mass.
He spread at the rate of about thousand bushels
of muck per acre, which had been somewhat en-
rinched by the manure of swine This would form
coating less than half All inch thick if spread
perfectly even. The result of this top dressing
was two crops of grass In the same season, both
amounting to five tons per acre. The expreri-
ments which we need in relation to this subject
are the application of various substances to the
surface of meadows, in order to observe the vari-
Gus results These substances must be capable of
fine pulverization-for if thrown down in Jumps
or heaps, SO as to be several inches thick in one
place and entirely absent in another they cannot
accomplish great deal of good. Sawdust, which
Is abundant In some places, may be spread with
great facility but its light and porous nature
would probably render it less valuable than
an equal coating of strong soil 1t is, however,
well worthy of experiment Fine peat OF muck,
dry enough to form into powder, might be spread
with nearly as much facility, and would doubtless
prove more efhcacious
Lastly, and much the best of the three, and only
inferior to manure and compost, is alluvion, or
the washings of strong, fertile soil Being free
from stone, and of tine even, uniform texture,
it may be spread evenly, when dry enough, with
out difficulty. The best way of spreading it,
questionably, Is to adopt the Dickinson mode of
carrying it over the surface by streams of water,
after excessive rains. There is another material
which may be used for this purpose the value of
which experiment only can prove-namely, fine or
coarse sand or dry quick-sand.
The writer once owned meadow, a part of which
was annually inundated by a turbulent creek,
which left at every food thin coating of fine sed
iment. This sediment did not contain any
sual amount of fetiizing matter for it was merely
the washings from the country above. But the re-
suit annual and certain crop of at least
three tons of hay per acre while the remainder
of the meadow above high water mark, although
possessing apparently as fertile soil naturally,
yielded varying return of ton to ton and
half. There may be many instances in which
farmers could initiate this top-dressing by apply
ing the different substances already mentioned to
their meadow lands, during the comparatively
leisure season of winter.-COmatry Gentleman