The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1868-09-11
From ths Eoglaud Farmer.


Many farmers have a prejudice
against spreading manure and expos
ing it for any length Of time on the
surface Of tho ground. They believe
u largo portion OF tho value OF barn
manure is lost by the evaporation il
not covered by the soil. Others con-
tend that little if any, loss is sustained
bs the practice of surface manuring.
Several experiments made within
a few years have inclined me to favor
top dressing and surface mauuring
WHENEVER circumstance seem to re.
quire it,-as, for instance, when the
ground freezes up early in the fall,
and you do not have time to haul ont
and work in all your manure as you
desired. Ii were caught in that way
now, and had a lot Of summer ma
nure on hand, would keep carting
and spreading just as il the ground
were not frozen. ! would not put it
in heaps large or small, but would
spread it, all ready to be cultivated in
at the hrst moment.
Last winter after the manure in the
barn. cellar became somewhat in the
way, ycarted out some dozen loads and
spread it on about four inches Of snow
over q part of field that was intend
ed for potatoes. The remainder Of
the field was manured in the spring
with the same kind OF manure and as
near as might be with the same guam.
tity. The field was all cultivated and
worked alike after the manure was
spread. At no time during tho growth
OF the potatoes could the least differ
ence be noticed between that part ma.
nured the day it was worked into the
soil, and the other part where the ma
nure lay exposed several months.
do not suppose the manure that
was spread in the winter if taken upl
again ir the spring and used to ma
nure some other land would have been
as good as that drawn directly from
the yard. l suppose what it had lost
the ground had taken and kept till the
growing crops should call for it.
The fall previous, l hauled out sew
eral loads and left it in small heaps OF
about a quarter OF load each, to bel
spread in the spring on land intended
tor grass. The result of that experi-
ment was that where The heaps lay all
winter the grass was very early and
heavy and needed cutting many days
before the rest of the lot, making the
field look very uneven. had to cut
it when the early spots were grown or
that part would have lodged and rot
ted before fhe other part would have
been ready TO cut.
think, of all modes Of disposing
of manure, that of leaving it in heaps
through the winter is the worst.
Ii manure can be lett spread on the
surface of the fields where it is to be
used, without losing it's strength only
as the ground takes il, it is worth
knowing. Aud now is the time for
nil who have manure on hand, that is
in the way, and have tolerably level
land on which to use it, to draw it out
while the ground is forzen and the
men and teams comparatively little to
do. To most farmers, days's time
in April is worth two in January.
For top dressing grass, ! have found
the best time to be Immediately altar
taking off the hay. On land suitable
to top dress at all, the grass will usu-
ally grow up in few days and COM
pletely shade the manure, keeping it
moist 80 that every shower can carry
down to the grass roots some portion
Of the value of the manure.
A. w. CHEEvER.
Sheldonville, Jan. Is, 1868.