Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-09-28
From The n. II siatcsman
Preparation for Corn.

Farmers differ widely in their practice Of
preparing the land for the corn crop. Most
farmers in this section pillow their greenswarl
in the fall, next spring cart on the manure,
spread and harrow in. Others cart out their
manurei in the spring, spread it upon the grass,
and pillow it under An objection TO this
method is that it makes too much hard work
for the farmer and his teams in that busy
season
A method much practiced lately, by large
numbers Of farmers in western New York, is
to cart tho manure on to the grass land some
time during the autumn, spread 1t evenly over
the land, letting it remain through the winter,
and pillow it in in the spring. These farmers
state that one load Of manure thus applied
will give as large yield Of corn as two--and
some say three loads-applied in the spring
either plowed under or put upon the inverted
soil and narrowed n The reason given for
this is that the rains and melting SHOWS wash
into the soil the fertlizing Ingredients Of the
manure, which are evenly distributed through
the soil and plowed within reach of the roots
of the young plants, where they find a full
supply of ready prepared food and they 20
ahead without let or hindrance. The only
objection to this method is the powing in the
spring, which would be inconvenient for most
farmers.
While at the agricultural meeting at Man
chester last December, 1 had some conyersa-
ton with j. Stanton Gould upon this matter.
He thought the best way for New Hampshire
farmers would be to pillow their scotland in
autumn, cart on their manure, spread evenly,
and harrow it in. In the spring give the in
verled soil n thorough cultiyating with a
Bucklin or similar implement and then the
land would be in the best possible condition
for big crop Of corn, saving much hard
labor in the spring. But perhaps some may
ask, will not the fertiizing constituents of
manure soak down below the reach Of the
roots of the corn during the rains and melt
ing SHOWS, from October until May2 No
loss would occur in this way on loamy soil
none of the fertilizing qualities of the man
ure would sink to the depth Of eight inches.
In the composition of our loamy Soils provis-
ion has been wisely made to guard against
such losses If it had not been so, the rich
prairie soils of the west would have been as
barren as the sands Of Cape Cod The fer
tility of loamy soil is never washed out by
rains. 1t can only be extracted by growing
crops and if these are never removed from
the land, it is continually growing more fer
tile. But if we annually grow our cultivated
crops upon the same soil, without making
suitable returns in manure of some sort, the
best soils will sooner or later become barren
just as continually taking from the meal-tub
and not replenishing it, will bring us to The
bottom.
Several years ago. in November, | went t.
East Gilmanton and during my drive | saw
fifty or more acres Of newly inverted scotland
near which were large heaps Of manure
some put up in high, well-shaped heaps, 9th
ers strung along pretty much as tilted iron
the cart. In the spring these heaps were t.
be loaded into the cart drawn across tn,
plowed land, put out in heaps and spread an,
narrowed in--al this extra work to be don
before planting. Now, if any farmer vii
just apply the sober second thought, he vii
readily perceive that here was a waste of
great amount Of hard labor. How much bet
ter il would have been to cart the manure d
rectly on to the plowed ground and sprea
and harrow it in. | have no doubt ther
would have been gain of twenty-five pc
cent Of corn, on the fall MANFRED, over tn
spring MANFRED
Last October | plowed, on one side of
field, strip of land about two rods wide an,
twenty rods long. Immediately north az
piled to the grass land a good dressing of ma
nure, on a strip about four yards wide. Las
spring gave the remainder Of the field fai
dressing Of green manure, then plowed tn
fall and spring MANFRED ground, and CAV
the whole field good cultivating plante
with corn on the 10th of May, That porto
planted where the manure was spread upo
the grassland took the lead in growth, in tn
early part Of the season, and was the first
ripen. The corn was hoed four times, wit
the hoe alone neither cultiyator nor plo,
was used in the field The result is that
have never grown better crop of corn tina
this year The soil is yellow, upland loan
A part of the corn was harvested on the st
of September.
In these times of high priced labo
it behooyes farmers to do every thing in tn
fall towards spring work that can be dom
1t is cheaper blowing and manuring in I'll
fall than in the spring. Therefore farmer
should do all their blowing in autumn, f
both their hoed and grain crops, and al,
manure their inverted sod or corn-land in Ii
i"iis boh nav ehy iSoAs VI iVolhS u
strength Of the manure if applied in the ia
upon inverted sod Stubble-land for Il
grain crop, plOwed in the fall, does not nee
cross-plowing in the spring Much bott,
crops Of grain can be harvested from ia
plowed than from spring plowed, as | wi
show in future number.
More than sixty years ago, Noah Webst,
said it was " hard teaching old dogs ne
tricks" and it is about equally hard TO NAL
old farmers change their old routine of cult
walton. So | suppose most of them wi
trudge along in the old beaten track, notwit
standing all | have written. But tru
that many Of our young farmers will exper
ment, this fall, in spreading manure upC
grassland intended for hoed crops next yea
and also apply manure to inverted fall plo,
ed land for next years corn crop. And,
they have any faith in my statements, the
will also prepare their land for next season
grain crop, by deeply and throughly plowh
their corn and other stubble ground for ne
oseason's wheat, oats, barley, etc. Then ]
them report, through the columns Of Il
newspapers, the results, whether good
otherwise. LEVI BARTLETT,