Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-03-10

l
} from rising above the tile. The outlet
main die ch is generally too small, 1t shou
be large enough 10 carry off all the surpl,
water in twenty-four hours; had seen h
ten inch tile run full for several days on h
farm. near Cowgill's Corner, The drair
should never be more than thirty feet apar
less is better. TiliDg is very expensive, bl
he had never laid out money that paid
better interest. Could not drain his Ian
for less than Is or 100 dollars per acre. II
had tried TO drain land by digging well
down 10 water level, but it did not d
well; 1t was better to carry off the water
even If it was necessary to dig ditc
fifteen feet deep.
Zadoc Postlcs, formerly lived in the uppe
part of the State, and had often seen hig
hills on the top of which he noticed bul
rushes and alders grow In great profusion
from which he inferred that ali kinds O
land would be bepetitted by draining.
In answer to question from COmegys
DR.. Ridgeley said he considered drainiu,
with poles an utter waste of money, the,
do well as long as they last, but they rO
out In three or four years and require al
most the same trouble as In the first In
stance pole drains are liable to be choket
up by insects and worms working up th,
dirt.
Dr. Jump remarked that he had been in
formed that John G. Clark, a very success
ful farmer had abandoned tile draining ant
adopted poles as being the most economical
and hest.
| Wilson Cannon had recently put dowr
500 rods of pole draias, it works well yet
don't know how long it will last, he was
not prepared to defend that system of drain;
ing, he had sowed half bnshel of bnck.
wheat on the land he had thus drained from
which he bad harvested 32 bushels of buck.
wheat, besides what he told some of bis
neighb0rs to gather He thought there
must have been altogether 20 bushels; he
dug his ditch 4 8 inches wide, and the proper
depth, and then laid pieces of sassairas
wood across the two poles which formed
the vacuum through which the water ran,
and then filled the ditch to the top with
poles.
Lewis M. Bell said he had an experienced
lrishman who would always dig the ditch
perpendicular on one side, and slantiug on
the other side until it reached the perpen-
dicular side, he would then place his tile
against the straight bank. This kept the
tile steady and avoided considerable labor,
ne said 1t did not matter how much fall the
drains had, so it carried off the water. The
main thing was to get the drain deep enough.
1t should never be less than 10 inches, il
would be better to throw them into the road
than to put them in shallow.
The Club then proceeded to the discussion
of the
BRsT MANURE AND BEST MODE OF APPLYING
II TO sPPING CROPS.
Mr.. Cannon said he should in opening con-
fine his remarks principally to corn as a
Spring crop; the best way was to manure in
the fall about the last of November, or first of
December, he would haul it out and spread
1t upon the ground in a rough state; ii pro.
tected the land from sudden freezing and
'hawing,. both of which weakened the Wit
ality of the soil by evaporation. In answer
to Mr.. Comegys, he said he considered
manuring in the fall not only beneficial as
. protection to the ground, but also as
fertilizer. Manure brought better crops by
being decomposed on the ground. He al
ways used home made MANURE; fertilizers
never paid him, and he don't intend to use
any more; farmers should save their ashes.
and mix it with scrapings of the pig. sty, and
'iroppngs of the hen house, which is a bet
ter manure than any in the market.
Mr.. Comegys asked Mr.. Cannon how
many bushels of ashes should be saved
year on an ordiDary-sized farm
MIR. Cannon said there but few farms in
Kent County on which from 25 TO 80 bush
els OF ashes could not he saved, which if
prepared as he had stated would manure IA
acres Of corn in the hill.
Mr. Comegys-but what would large fur.
mers do who planted hundreds of acres
MIR. Cannon,-I speak fol the small far
mers who cannot afford to own large farms
and who scarcely ever buy over two tons of
fertilizers year. The bulk of phosphates
sold In Kent county goes into the hands OF
small farmers, who could make a better
phosphate at comparatively no cost if they
would but save their ashes, and other offal
about the house and out buildings
coat of grass, hay or straw will protect
the ground from sudden changes, but coarse
manure mot only does the same, but it acts
as a fertilizer.
VIM. X. Cahoon, agreed with Mr. Cannon
and thought fall was the best time for the
application of manure for spring crops. be.
cause 1t became thoroughly dec0mposed and
to Immediately act as soon as the
spring crop was planted.
Mr.. Day manured for spring crops in De-
,ember and January, manure applied in
raw state in the spring OF the year burnt up
The crops.
Mr.. Paris made somewhat lengthy speech |
reviewing bis success as farmer from the |
ime he left the mercantile business, In the |
own of Leipsic, and bought some poor land |
n that vicinity, and commenced life as an |
lgriculturlst. He applied manure in the fall |
md ploughed 1t under six inches deep, and
hen applied coat of lime at the rate of
100 bushels to six acres and planted in corn
ie then gave II sprinkling of plaster and
when the corn was growing, put sprinkle
If guano, to the hills which were behind
le had told his neighbors that he would |
aise 80 bushels to the acre, which subjected
lim to many uncomplimeniary remarks in
egard to his sanity, but when the time come
or gathering his corn he bad more than 80
,usiels per acre. The same wear he sowed
n wheat and then in grass, and Away s after.
Yards raised good crops. Mr. James raid
@ knew man who applied his manure in
une and who was satisfied he had better
rops than when applied in any other month.
With corn he would have less fodder but
lore corn.
Mr.. Wilson-would not let manure rot in
lc yard but would apply it in a rough state
, the ground without regard to the season
ie sun may affect it but it will shade the
round some of his neighbors watched the
l0On ana appneu IL when the horns pointed
, the earth. He said Thomas Davis one of
le most successful farmers in Kent County
ut on rough manure in the spring and
loughed it under and then followed il with
coat of lime Knew another very success ,
il farmer who lined on top of the manure
I'd ploughed both in together. !,
Zadoc Poslles said the main question is
Dw to make land self sustaining. He :
ould lay offa farm into four equal fields. !
I'd plough one each year; he would nut ON ,
anu.e and get il ia wheat and grass he
id ploughed under ccat of clover, and u
ithout any manure raised 80 bushels OF \
heat to the acre; would buy manure for y
e first crop and get ii in clover, then by I
reful management the land is self sustain Il
g; would not use much lime, would only u
,ep four horses and two milch cows. :,
Mr. Jump would like to know of some :.
st to know when land needed lime; he had "
ard that lemon juice if applied to the soil :
ould effervesce ii the land needed no lime. +
0 one seemed to possess the desired :,
lowledge, hut several were of the opinion I,
at lime failed to act on some land. !,
MIR. Bell thought that although the Della II
are people had the reputation of being the i;
arpcst OF Yankees they were terribly e
nkt eized by the number Of worthless ferti. !. !,
arc in tba NJ l. | W