Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-02-20

SPREADING MANURE IN WINTER
There is but one object in allowing large
piles Of manure 10 accumulate in barn
yards during wintef-namcly, for the
purpose Of working down the tbrous ma
teriat intermixed through It, IN the form
Of straw and corn,stalks TO be applied next
summer or autumn. Manure intended
for spring crops should be drawn out and
spread now, for several reasons. Thcrr Is
usually more leisure ON the part Of the
team and teamster, and it is desirable to
give winter employment 20 hired men,
I The loads of manure may DC more easily
drawn over the ground than when II is
soft and wet in the spring, and grass land
/ is not cut up nor injured in this way.
The manure being spread upon the sur
/ face, is dissolved and carried into the soil
| at eYerY thuM or rain. and i thus finely
iifiused through the particles, The re.
naming fihrous portions are then plowed
under, ii il is intended u plant or sow II
crop; or they remain as a partial or thin
mulch upon the surface Of grass lands. 1t
/ is obvious that, for the last mentioned pur-
pose, the manure should be very evenly
spread, and no lumpS permitted 10 remain
10 obstruct the moving machine. 1t l.
especially important, on three accounts,
that manure on plowed or stubhlc ground
which it is intended 10 plant or SOW in
spring, should be spread in winter. The
ground is not injured by the sinking Of
the wheels the manure is more perfectly
ditfuscl than could be effected by harrow
/ ing and an amount 81 time is gained for
early sowing, equal TO the number Of days
required 10 draw out and spread the ma
nurC,
We Oftan hear the objection that the
manure will wash away and be lost We
have found this objection 10 be groundless,
unless il il spread IN the bottom of hol-
lows or swales, and in the channels OF
streams. As soon as snow meltS or rain
falls, there is always enough OF unfrozen
sill nj the surface 10 absorb the dissolved
manure. Even when placed on steep hill
sides, we have never found the enriching
effects of the manure TO extend below the
surface more than three feet ON gras,
lands. Those familiar with the process Of
irrigation are aware that the large quan.
tity Of water, used for this purpose, has
its fertilizing portions quickly distracted
from il by the grass among which 1t runs
?. The same result j. more thoroughly pro-
duccd when the water comes down upon
the surface, not as a flowing current, but
merely in minute rain drops. As corn i,
planted later in spring than some Other
crops. il may seem less necessary TO draw
out the manure in winter, nevertheless
after several years trial, we have become
satisfied that winter manuring Is mucl
better than applying just before the piow'
ing is done, at the same time that the IN
Jury to the soil in the spring, by drawing
e loads upon it, Is avoided, country Gtip
HtmaH.
ALCOHOL AND CRiME.-The annual re
port of the Board Of State Charities il
Massachusetts, show that OF all causes o
crime in the State none are so fruitful a
intemperance. This the reader consider
natural enough; he is not prepared how
ever, for the assertion that nearly eighty
per cent. OF the criminals OF Massachusetts.
are incorporate. 4 still greater pc,
centage Of the crimes can be traced, indi
rectly. we are told, TO the use of liquor
! These figures are strong argument
, for the prohibitionists. Whatever W,
, may say about the practical Workings o
prohibition, we have yet to see satiSfae
, tory results come from it. 1t is absurc
to argue that the sale of liquor is some
/ thing with which the public have no more
RICH. to interfere than with the sale o.
other goods, With such figures as thi
, before ii the public has very decide,
right to take any measure it may thini
proper to suppress the traffic in liquor
I Every man who has a son has right tt
protect that son against bad influences
as strong natural right as the lion ha
to protect his cub from injury 1t Is
proper logic to say that the man infringe:
ON the liberty OF society, or the lion ON th'
| liberty of the forest The question to b
decided is not, has the public right t,
suppress the great cause OF crime, but how
shall it do 50 most etfectually Nee lorl
r HaH
\ FESTIVAL. - The evenings OF tn