Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-05-12
Hon Mnnurc-S OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

fiiNNl NNn WOW lNNIAuN lAilhIH
see ana inquiry in recent number of the
HUmr by William Alonof North llariland,
Vermont in regard to mixing hen manure
and ashes | have been engaged in making
comparative experiments with commercial
and other fertilizers for the last two years.
Perhaps the results may be interesting to Mr..
Allen and other readers Of the Farmer.
mixed eight bushels hen manure with
about the same quantity Of rich loan and
one peck Of plaster. | used bushel Of this
mixture to 40 hills which yielded IA
pounds sound, aud two pounds soft corn.
One peck Of ashes was added TO three pccks
OF the above compost, TO which was also adj
dcd one quart Of salt applied it Immediately
TO $40 hills and covered it up, which yielded
100 pounds of sound aud Z pounds Of soft
corn. No other manure was used. ! left
ll0 hills with nothing, for base, which gave
81 pounds Of sound and q Of soft corn.
II viii be seen that the mixture without
the ashes increased the crop -, and that with
the ashes, 30 per cent These divisions were
side by side aud received the same culture,
and iscarciullyweighed and noted
Two years SINCE ! mixed my hen manure
and oshes-both perfectly dry-without CONF
hosting The crop was increased 30 per
cent, aud ] advanced the same theory you
advance in your remarks, but the experiment
cells me that theory and practice do not ale
way. agree.
/ also used Cumberland, Alta Nela, Brad
Iey's, Rhodes Glasgow Z. f. Goes and A.
Goes superphosphatcs at the rate of If pounds
to lao hills. The increase was from 80 to
80 per cent each kind paying for itself at
least twice, and some three times.
] can raise more corn from one dollars
worth Of good superphosphato than from the
best half cord Of barnyard manure | over
sow. ! would also say to Mr., Grow, that
shall plant four acres Of corn this season and
use nothing but Especial fertilizers in the
hill and shall expect to get from - 10 30
bushels good sound corn to the acre.
The ground on which | tried the expert
ment was an old bound out field which late
ly purchased and has not had 10 loads Of
manure for the last 30 years. The end of it
on which ! tried these experiments, gave on
an average rs bushels to the acre. The other
end was MANFRED with sheep manure at the
rate of J. cords per acre, with night soil
compost i'm the HILL This proved no better
although any one seeing the corn before il
was harvested, would have said that it was o
/ third better
The phosphated end required but two cul.
/ tlyatings and one hocing. The MANFRED end
required two cultiyatings and two hocings
Manure will make weeds grow as wclas corn.
Now | don't wish to be understood that
/ ignore the use of barnyard manure on the
contrary, | conlriye every WY to make anc
save ali can. My cattle are stabbed every
night through the year, and well bedded with
any thing | can obtain, such as leaves, loan
dried muck, dc. 1t matters little what it is
anything to absorb the liquid.
After my corn is off next fall, shall car
on the manure at the rate of or ten cord,
to the acre, and pillow it in; the next spring
cultivate aud sow with wheat, seeding t.
timothy and clover. BY this method | gel
better wheat and better grass, and the lane
will hold out longer, than by the old methoc
Of applying the manure to the corn crop anC
then seeding down with wheat. Still thi
course is well enough if farmers will manur,
literally enough, but this is not apt to be tn,
case among many farmers. The quantity o
the manure is so small, or the quality so poor
that the corn gets it all, and there is nothing
left for the wheat, and it proves failure
/ Whereas, if the corn had been raised Will
some special fertilizer, and the same amour
Of manure had been applied to the wheat,
paying crop would have been the result, anC
the hay crop would be double.
BY adopting some such course as this
many Of the worn out farms might be brought