The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1869-05-13
Prairie Manuring.

cannot too warmly express my ap-
prevail Of your efforts to induce our piai.
RE farmers to give more attention to
to the subject Of Manures. In common
with nearly all OF those who were the
first to locate in the West, was a firm
believer in the inexhaustibility of prai-
RE soils. The idea of applying manure
10 them seemed SO absurd, that it was
never for moment entertained by
prairie farmers. The pc sibility of these
deep, black, rich soils ever becoming
sterile, was not to be thought of, and
happy in our blessed ignorance, we pur-
sued our way rejoicing, only to come to
grief at last. A number Of years ago, l
adopted the principle of giving to my
sOil-wliich Is naturally as good rs any
l know of-all the manure made on the
farm. The results have been seen year
after year. have had crop failures to
be sure, but not as frequently as my non
manuring neighbors, while the average
yield Of wheat and corn has been great
~ In advance of theirs. Imay at some
future day, have more to say on this
important subject, but will content my
self for the present with requesting
that you will do your prairie farmer
readers the favor Of publishing the fol-
lowing extract from all article on "Prai-
rio Knoll Manuring," by writer in one
of the agricultural papers which l re-
ceive:
"Not many years ago ! was farming
in Woodford county, in partnership
with my brother. Our farm was roll
ing prairie, and knobs were of frequent
occurrence, the soil of which was often
shown by short crops, especially corn,
To be considerably poorer than else
where. We commenced plowinga field
Of stubble i'm the fall, and not being able
to finish the blowing, left till spring an
unfinished land the end of which was
square, and came out right on one of
these knobs. We had some manure,
enough We thought to bothefa good deal
about the stable: and, although we had
heard it said 1--WE were new comcrs) that
prairie soil was rich enough without
manure, We concluded to run the risk
OF spelling the land, and accordingly
hauled out the useless stull-the ma
nure. We determined to put some of
it on the end of the unfinished 'land,
which was on the summit of the knoll,
us it was hear the stable. We adminis-
tered it pretty freely to the hungry soil,
so much SO that we found it necessary
to put it into the burrows in orner to
pillow it under. None was given to the
.plowed part. We planted the field to
corn. The corn came up, and soon gave
evidence Of the beneficial effects of the
manure. The consequence was strip
of corn from one to two feet higher than !
that surrounding it, and marking out /
with astounding accuracy the size and .
shape toa hill, the manured portion. /.
The same contrast was conspicuous in
both the yield and the quality of the /
grain. The manure did it, as no such
difference occurred i'll any other part of
the field where circumstances were
equal.
After that experiment we were never
afraid of being bothered with manure
about astable; nor was there any serious
danger of our ever becoming converts 10
the plan Of moving the stable to get it
away from the manure. Not much."-
Journal Of tic .Jtrm.