The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-07

Er@r M0uUrtnS J0sa0s
- Aiwriter in the Ne,c E,gsdnd Former dis.
courses as follows in regard to the right wsy
Of applying manure to land:
:, / am surprised to see, as / do IN gung
over the country, how many Of our old fArm.
ers are holding on to, the old mode OF apply
ing manure by dumping It from carts or
wagons on the fields in small heaps, where
it lies sometimes for two or three weeks,
and then send boy or hired man to
spread it on the land, when the consequence
is that on the, spots where the heaps we're
laid the grain will lodge and spoil, whils
on the outskirts it will be so poor that Il
will need drum and fife to get it together.
The last mode of applying manure used
to be the exclusive mode in this section Of
the country, but ten years. experience and
observation of different mode has brought
farmers around, and do not know Of an
individual in my section, who does not now
apply it on my PLAIN
My rule of applying manure is simply
this After the field has been ploughed and
dragged down, the manure is loaded ON
wagons and taken direct to the field and
spread on the land right from the Wagons.
In ploughing, each land is laid of about
twenty-one feet wide. BY driving the
wagon in the middle of the land, 1t can
easily be spread from furrow to furrox,
and the men being in the wagon can at
once see when they get it all even. With
o new hand l always 60 out myself with
one load and see that he starts right; after
which there is generally no further trouble.
=. After the manure is applied to the whole
field we put on the gang plough. And here
allow me to say, that, Of all the implements
have ever used for putting manure on the
land in it's proper place, according to my
idea, this suits me the best. It has
wooden frame with three small ploughs at.
tached. 1t has handles like plough also
two wheels, one on each end, and can be
lowered or raised by means of bolts and
screws, and guaged to run one, two, three,
Or four inches deep. II puts the manure
under rs effectually as plough. gene
rally set it to run about two inches deep,
which is about my idea of the proper depth
10 cover manure.
Now for the effects. A little experiment
Just comes to my mind purchased from
neighbor about forty loads of manure and
applied it to one portion of field, the whole
of which was to be sowed to rye; the other
portion of the field had no manure. In
other respects the treatment Of the whole
field was precisely alike. Each portion Of
the whole field required the same amount
of rye for seed. The manure cost me if
ty cents per load. When the crop was
harvested and sold. the MANFRED part paid
me $3.50 per load over the unmsnured the
first year; the second year it made a1.50;
making s. per load, besides efecting 9
permanent improvement on the land.
In all my experiments / find that two
loads applied on or near the surface, after
ploughing, or narrowing, or cultivating, or
gang ploughing-which last is my mode
is worth and will give as much benefit as at
least three loads ploughed under, especial
ly if it is ON old sod. When have clo-
yer sod and very coarse manure, I do some
times, for corn or potatoes, plough it under,
but not very deep. Then by ploughing Q
little deeper the next spring it brings the
manure just in the place it is needed for
the wheat, barley, or oat crop.