Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-05-18
Garden NanureS.

Thorough culture and liberal supply of
manure are tvFa of the main things requisite /
Tor the production OF abundant crops OF good
vegetables and - manure hides a multitude
of sins and errors" The selecting and pro-
curing of manure, therefore, deserves more
than passing thought
The first object is 70 get an efficient manure; |
the second is to procure manure which Will
not give us any after trouble. The ordinary
manures manufactured on the farm, and at
home in the garden, are powerful; but the
great difficulty lies in the fact that most of
them are full of seeds of weeds, and the
eradication of these pests sometimes costs more
than the profits arising from the manure. 4
weedy bed of strawberries or onions is a
source of positive loss, and although we keep
up the.mOst thorough culture, yet, if we SOW
broadcast over our gardens the seeds of nOx-
ious weeds, great deal of labor will be re-
quired to keep them down.
Manures will often contain the seeds in
the pure excrements of animals. The ripe
seeds of many weeds are not at all injured
by passage through the intestines of the
COW, the horse or the pig. We have seen
wheat, corn and oats grow freely from heap
of the excrements of these animals. The
digestive organs of the sheep seem to be more
powerful. The terminating power of some
weeds seems to be even improved by the &C
ton of the intestinal fluids, just as the seeds
of the locust terminate more freely aftsr hay
ing been immersed in boiling water. In Sc
lecting manure, therefore, it is well to inquire
into the character of the materials which
have gone to make it. Manure made by cat
tie fed on green food (soiled) may always be
relied upon. So might the manure from
cattle fed ON roots and ground feed. Mich
cows are often fed on corn fodder, and the
manure in such cases is remarkably free from
the seed of weeds, provided the latter do not
find their way in through the bedding. A
few days ago we brought some loads of straw
for bedding for our cattle, and we find large
quantities of the seeds of weeds in the re-
fuse which lies where it was shaken in the
act of putting it into the barn. Indeed, it
will be found that more weeds get introduced
by the bedding than by the food An article
of bedding which is almost free from the
seeds of weeds, is the leaves of trees /;
and for a load of manure made by cattle fed
on corn fodder and little grain, and bedded
with leaves, we would give double or treble
the ordinary price. provided we wished it for
sucl a crop as strawberries, carrots, &c.
The cornstalks themselves, when thorough
ly rotten, add considerably to the heap, and
they decompose readily if kept covered with
moist matter. In most cases it will pay to
keep the different lots of manure separate,
the weeds can be most effectually combat
ed by attacking them under the most advan-
tageous circumstances. Thus, 1T we have
any very weedy manure, it Will be good
plan to use as much of it as possible in hot
beds, etc. If applied to asparagus it will
not trouble much, as we can apply an
amount of salt sufficient to destroy all weeds.
On small place, where no animals are
kept, guano will probably be found the most
convenient and best article. Its price is high,
but if properly applied little of it goes a
long way. The way in which we prefer to
apply it is to mix it with the slops from the
house, allow the mixture to stand some time
and then dilute with water. If the bottom
of drill be well moistened with this liquid
lust before the seeds are placed in it, the
best effects will result, whereas, when the
guano is used dry it often happens that the
young plants are injured.
1t is wonderful what may be accomplished
in the way of manuring by merely saving
the slops, ETC., of an ordinary family. If all
the soapy water, chamber-slops, ashes, etc,
are carefully saved, it will be quite possible
to fertilize garden of quite respectable di-
mansions, and if to these matters be added
the manure from few hens and the clean
ings of the privy, garden sufficiently large
to supply the wants of the family may be
easily kept in state of fertility.-Cou
Gentleman.