Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-02-17
of the Franklin
- COunIY Earmers, Club.

COLUMBUS, OHIO, Feb. 10, 1858.
Club met. There was large gathering
OF the live farmers of Franklin county and
adjoining counties.
In the absence of the President, Vice
President Innis called the meeting to order.
He congratulated the members on the in
creasing interest and usefulness of these
meetings, as is evident from the largely in
creased attendance.
Mr.. John Clark, of Miffiin township, in
quired: "What are your conditions of
membership, and what privileges do you
allow outsiders who attend your meet
ings ?" The officers of the Club answered.:
Conditions of membership we have none !;
only to sign your name to the Constitution.
We talked at first of having a small initia-
tory fee, but on reflection concluded to
make it as free as the air we breathe The
only advantage members have over out
siders is: they are entitled to vote for, and
are eligible to its offices. We would be
glad, indeed, to see any farmer or mechanic,
or in fact any other man living in or out OF
Franklin county, at our meetings. We
want them to feel free and easy; feel at
home, as though this was their meeting.
The emily object being mutual improve
ment.
Mr.. A. B. Buttles moved to take up the
subject of manures.
MIR. G. S. Innis was requested to give his
views on this subject. He said manures
were the great want OF the tillers OF the
soil, not only of Franklin county, but OF the
State. We nave been cropping and crop
ping, taking from and retuI ming nothing
to our soils, till we have measurably USED
up our virgin richness; but the time had
now come, or was fast approaching, when
this must be stopped, or our people will
have to 90 without bread or look to other
places for it. Our lands will continue to
grow poorer until We change this ruinous
system. 1t is not enough that our small
farmers are selling out and moving West
on new soils to be worn out in
their turn. This, too, must soon
cease. 1t we are to be great agricultural
peOple-and we cannot be anything else
we must give more attention to our soils.
The glory of Ohio is fast departing. Where
are our wheat crops-Our thirty or forty
millions OF bushels of a few years ago?
Then we thought, give us good price
for our wheat and we can supply the
world. Now we cannot, either as
q county or State, supply ourselves. The
reason is our neglect to feed our soils; we
must give more plant food. There is moth
Ing pays better either; it will pay from so
to 100 per cent. right along. My farm lies
on the Scioto river, and consists Of first and
second bottom. 1t is as rich natu
rally as any land in the State. Yet
nothing pays better than my investments
in manures !; indeed seldom fail OF gettiug
my money all back the first year. Where
ever you can show me piles of manure
cOmposted, l will find well-to-do and
prosperous farmer. My sources of supply
are obtained from the city as well as from
the farm. cut up all my corn and draw
the fodder and feed it in the stables and
barn yard, and having more than my stock
can eat, throw it in literally. 1t makes
good bedding and largely increases the
manure pile. 1 draw it out and make my
pile eighteen inches thick in summer, to
prevent it burning and expelling the
be made about foot thicker, so
it will heat sufficiently to rot; thus
preparing it tor application to the land in
early Spring. In applying it, place it over
the field in piles, SO it will not be DIR ed out
by the sun and air. L make my piles about
the size of five or six bushels. When
spread it should be Immediately plowed
under, and in no case allowed to lay on the
soil to become dry. 1t is good plan to
cover your pile while composing and rot
ting with muck from your bitches, sand
from your water courses and in fact with
any loamy or clayey matter at your
command. Manure put into the soil
Is lasting Improvement. ma
.ured ,rni Literally neaa .na piece of land
rich. Has paid me back at least ten dol
lars for every one invested; would prefer,
for profitable culture, one good acre to
three poor ones. None of your poor land
for me. Have tried several kinds of ma
nures but always to my cost, and no profit,
when departed from the barn yard. Raw
green saw dust, directly from the mill
should not be applied. In this condition
it is worse than useless; but after rotting
aud composing it is a valuable manure.
In fact any vegetable or animal matter ii
well handled will make good manure.
Tried the past season Two barrels of Super
Phosphates of Lime manufactured at Pitts
burgh. Applied it to potatoes, tomatoes,
egg plant, peppers and other garden pro-
ducts. In no case could see the least diff
ference in any stage of their growth where
1t was applied aud where it was not ap-
piled.
In applying manure to wheat land
would let it get well rotted, then plow
the land and spread it evenly over the sur
face quite thinly, say yOne-fOurth or fifth as
much as for corn or other tillage crops
This would take one bushel to every four
square rods, or say, three wagon loads per
acre. Harrow it into the soil and then
your land will be ready for the drill. 10
those that have never tried manuring for
wheat, the improvement in their crops
will be surprising. On land even in good
heart it will give brighter straw, longer
beads, and ripen the crop some three days
earlier. My good farmer friend, George
White, living on Elm creek, once
told me that having a good pile
of well rotted manure in his barn
yard he applied it as directed above to one
half OF sixteen acre field, where no ma
nure was applied the wheat grew little
taller and was very good crop, and
yielded him twenty-five bushels per acre.
Where the manure was applied the wheat
ripened before the other, was brighter in
the straw, longer healed, and had three or
four grains abreast. and yielded forty
bushels per acre. Fifteen bushels of wheat
for three loads of manure pays pretty WELL
Mr.. A. b. Buttles said: We must manure.
In the East they pay from four to seven
dollars cord for their manure. This
would be from two to three dollars per two
horse load, yet they make it pay. Here
farmers sell their manure for % cents per
load. Have bought the last season 500
worth from my neighbors at this rate.
Farmers have yet to learn how to make
aud keep manure. There is two hundred
per cent. difference in manures, well ham
died manure being from two to three times
as valuable as that allowed to waste it's
more valuable parts. | stable my COWS on
purpose to get the manure and save it in
its best condition. In this way L get as
much value from the manure as from the
milk. l use it, however, for horticultural
purposes.
Manures, when piled out, should be COW
cred over with muck or earth, to absorb
the gases. Tried some of Goes phosphates,
from Cincinnati; found it good, one barrel
costing $40, considered it worth as much
as ten loads of manure. 1t was great i'm
provement on every thing on which tried
it. On potatoes l could easily detect the
difference in any stage of their growth,
and at digging time they yielded fifty per
cent. more than where barnyard manure
was applied. also tried The Pittsburgh
phosphates, which is black, and found it, as
described by Col. Innis, of no value what
ever.
Alex. Jackson said: Phosphates should
be drilled in with wheat when seeding
Wheat, when 80 treated, will grow from
four TO six inches higher than when sown