The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-12-29
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD
The Management of Manure.


MANURE is the key to all successful ar
1culture. Hence the most important Ques-
non farmer can ask IS, how can obtain
ana apply 1t to the best advantage? To
throw what little light can on this cues
ton is my object in writing this article.
Our object Is TO obtain the largest possible
crop with the least possible expense The
use OF the soil Is 10 hold the plant while il
IS fed with appropriate food. which is al
ready contained in the soil or atmosphere.
or which we supply TO it, The sooner we,
can convert that PLAINTIFF into paving
crop, the faster VIII we enrich ourselves,
and the better can we afford to return more
plant food TO the soil Hence IL is also an
important question as To what crop will
bring the most money in proportion to the
supply of food consumed Manure cannot
he appropriated w plants until it has UNI
dergOne decomposition to certain extent.
but not entirely. Hence, if we entirely de-
compose il without too much waste or ey
pense before applying ii to the crop. the
surer will be orr profit The more decom-
psSed manure is applied TO the surface
roots of the plant, the quicker and better
will be the result With this statement of
principles, we proceed to our method of
preparing and applying manure. During
any time when our team is not otherwise
probably employed, We send it to the
neighboring village or city to cart home
manure, which we deposit in heaps of from
twenty To fifty loads, where we expect to
apply it in the spring. In winter, when
the roads are had, we cart from our own
yard. In February we begin to turn and
break these heaps, making the manure as
fine as possible. In March turn again. The
oftencr II is handled. the better will be the
result. As soon as we have plowed and
turrowed our ground, we take our team
wagon, load on this fine decomp0sed ma
nure, and scatter it lightly in the row. or
place about quart in the hill, drop on our
seed and cover it. am well satisfied that
one load used in this way will give as good
results TO the first crop Is four loads spread
broadcast and plowed under.
Manure dec0mpOsed and fined will 90 as
far again as fresh upon grass, with equally
as good results. Still | believe that the
proper time 30 manure for grass is when
we seed down, narrowing it in with grain.
In proof of the good effect of the manure
applied in this way give the results of a
few experiments. In january, 1865. |
drew upon two acres of ground about 100
loads OF manure, upon which I planted
Black Caps in rows eight feet apart, nut
| ting row of potatoes between them.
About one acre on the south end was IN
manfred. Last spring | continued the
berries upon this acre, and planted pota-
toes between them, putting ten loads OF
manure IN the rows. About two rods III
length of the portion manurcd the previ
Gus year had remained implanted with Der
res; thinking this was rich enough
planted without further manuring. Both
the potatoes and berries made a better
growth on the part manfred in the row
| with fine decOmposcd manure, at the rate
OF ten loads per acre, than they did on the
part manured the previous wear at The rate
Of fifty loads ger acre. This land is not
! leachy. but n tenacious limestone loan
Last spring planted about one and hall
acres with peas. Upon enc end of the
/ patch spread, in March, three loads Of
| fresh manure, at the rate of twenty load.
! per acre, and upon the remainder put five
loads Of fine manure in the rows, and the
turnips were equally good ON both parts
Farmers, You can 10 more afford TO have
your plant-tood lying uDappropriated II
the soil than You can afford TO hav,
your money buried in the ground Us,
| them both, and thus YOU will have more
to Use. Manure not for next wear nor fo
five years hence. but for this wear; thu
| you can raise larger crops 10 feed or sell
and thus in turn make or buy more manur.
Tor another year Cor. C0UHtrY GeaNs
mdR.