The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-07-12
Proper Use of Manure.

The following communication Of the
late President of the Bucks County, Pa,
Agricultural Society to the editor Of the
Bucks County M~teNigencer, comprises
some valuable practical facts and hints
suggested from his own experience
81 have been much interested in the
remarks Of my friend Isaac Eyre, of Mid
dletown, in reference to the use of lime
and stable manure. If our intelligent
farmers, like friend Eyre, would send to
our country papers their experience in
raising good crops and state also the
method best to adopt in doing SO, our
farmers would in this way mutually en-
tighten each other, and no small amount
OF practical information in the cause Of
agriculture be elected.
In the use of stable manure I have
always advocated the advantage eff haul.
ing out, as far as practicable, fresh made
manure Immediately after wheat seeding
in the fall, and | have always found that
where | put the first load of manure in
the autumn | had the best corn the en-.
suing year. Indeed if was now a prac-
teal or operative farmer | think should
haul out all the manure | could make
Immediately from the stables to the
ground to be cultivated for corn the en-.
suing spring. Let it decompose in the
field instead of the barn yard. This plan
of course would reduce the amount of
manure for a time to be used for wheat
after harvest, and also break up somo old
established plans of farming in the past.
Let it do so. Cultivate more corn well
and less wheat, and in q few years you
would be astonished to see the increase
in the corn crop per acre; and there
need not DO much falling of in the wheat
crop, for twenty acres well put in will
produce as much if not more than twice
that amount when not properly prepared
by the use Of manure and good cultivation.
l have always found that | succeeded
better in raising wheat by ploughing down
a clover sod, even if l used no othea fer.
%tilizer. l think if our farmers would SOW
more clover and use more lime. there
would soon be 70 lack Of barn yard ma.
nure for all purposes of the farm.
mot to spin out a long article, where
| intend to vote but q few lines, let me
say in conclusion that there is often u
great waste Of lime in its application to
our soil. l have had thirty years expe.
rience in this line. / have used on my
homestead farm 10 that time more than
forty thousand bushels, certainly mostly
with great advantage. We, however,
live in a progressive age, and that man
lives but to little purpose who does not
gain som light as he passes along through
the journey of life. ! have applied lime
from thirty to one kindred bushers or
more per acre, and in almost every way.
In some cases, one in particular, my corn
crop was injured by the use of too much
lime at one time. | gave one of our
/. limeburners permission 10 haul out on the
field a lot Of lime from his kiln. Anx.
ious to make against me Il large bill, he
gave the field IN excessive dose, and for
that year my corn did not do as well as
usual but the field showed the effects Of
p the lime in after years. ! have now set
tied down to the belief that thirty OF
0 forty bushels Of good lime per acre ,spread
1 as soon as Stacked, is all sufficient, ant
: that the best time to apply it is on
). wheat stubble late in the fall. This will
q add much to the next crop of grass tn,
J, lime will keep near the surface for a Ion
' ger time and be of more permanent valu,
than any other method of application
n Still, if | could not apply lime in thi
way, | would nevertheless get it On IN.
II soil in some way. 1t will not fail to d
,e good. With the free use of lime, barn
d yard manure and clover, that farm mus
q be a poor one that will not soon be mad
so fertile as to blossom as the rose.
Yours respectfully,
% WILLIAM STAvELf.
If "Solcbury, April %, 1870"