Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1870-10-28

Conflicting opinions exist among
good farmers AS to whether it Is beS
20 apply manure to the surface, anC
it so. as to the best season for doing
ii.
Some twenty years ago the opin
ion was popular that when manure!
were applied 10 the soil they shOulC
. he Immediately covered with it, ant
mt a depth of four to six inches
That opinion has been much m0di
fled, some even going so far as to say
that it should not be covered at all.
1t seems to us that the truth lies
between the two extremes.
First, rs to covering manure. We
hre informed that in England the
common practice at this time is to
Apply us much manure as is prac-
ticablc TO the surface, and never GOV.
er it. 1t is used in liquid form, or il
solid, in very fine condition, and
merely mingled with the soil by the
harrow or the drill with which the
grain is sown. When the soil is de-
voted to roots, or any crop where
hoeing is to be done, the manure Is
still kept Oh or near the surface, anu
is reduced to fine condition.
We have plenty examples in ma
ture in this respect. She will restore
most exhausted lands 10 a state OF
fertility by the slow process of annu-
al deposits upon the surface OF such
plants as are indigenous to SOIL some
Of the elements Of which are derived
from the atmosphere. She does not
pIow under anything, but still pro-
duCes large forest crops or heavy
grOEths of grass, or other coarser
herbs, annually. This process may
serve as hint, but does not prove
there is not n quicker way to reclaim
the land. Vegetable substances that
are tender and succulemt would prob
sbly decay, aud fern favorable bed
for seeds OF roots when slightly COW
cred up in the soil, in a fourth part OF
the time that would be required il
they remained above the ground.
In discussion of farm. yard man
UgCs in the "LOndOn or Central
Farmers Club" the chairman said
he believed that manure was never
70 advantagcously applied as when
it was laid on the surface, ard so far
from dcteriOrating or losing anything
through exposure 10 the atmosphere
it caused more benefit TO the upper
soil where it was desirable its effects
should be most apparent. This opin
ion seemed to be received as SOUND
doctrine, for no one objected 10 i
during the discussion.
MIR. Robert Baker, who opened thC
discussion at the same meeting, aftel
touching upon almost every conceiv
able point in the management an(
application of farm yard manures
stated as his belief, that the bes
mode of applying manure was t
take It direct from the farm yard anC
turn it in SO as rot TO leave it cX
posed.
We arrived at this conclusion
many years ago from our own prac
tice and observation from time Il
time. This course seems to be fre'
from any objections which are urgeC
against other modes OF using it.
In this way the manure is handled
bat once, whereas, in cOmpOsiting
it must be moved several times.
In compOsiting, at each overhaul
ing there is loss in the escape O
ammonia, and there is danger of car
rying fermentation to far, and thu
greatly injuring the manure.
If the manure is taken directly
from the yard and plOEed under, i
is handled but once, loses nothing in
tie escape Of ammonia, because LC
fermentation has taken place, and il
not injured at all by heating.
Covered two or three inches, it il
soon IN warm and moist condition
so that fermentation has taken place
and is not injured at all by heating.
Covered two or three inches, it is
soon In warm and moist condition,
so that fermentation readily takes
place and gasses are given off. These
are arrested 10y the soil, as are also
its Juices, and are not only in a state
of readiness to be taken up by the
roots of plants, hut act in double
capacity by becoming food them
selves and acting upon other matcri-
als un:il they become so.
In applying it in green state,
much Of it will be in q coarse condi-
ton, but fermentation. aud the action
OF fl0st will tend to pulverize it, so
that second blowing will usually
incorporate ii pretty thoroughly
with the soil. With these advan-
tages, then. we have no hesitatiGn~in
recommending this course with all
the manure that can be applied i'm
the autumn. If COmpGsted with any
substance that will divide the wet
manure, so that it can be made some.
what fine, then we would put it un.
der in the spring as early as the con
ditlon Of the soil would permit.
For these and other reasons which
might be urged, we are clearly of the
opinion that, so far as we can make
it Vemient, it is best 20 put all the
manure we can under ground in its
fresh and crude condition, and cover
it not more than three inches ut most
Some good farmers do not apply
manure until it has been kept IA year
We believe that is the case with Mr.
John Brooks, of Princeton, Mass.
who is large and prosperous farm
or. What special advantages arist
from this course ere not clear to us.
ToP.DREsslNG.
with regard tn this mode Of man
uring there are also various opinions
but that it can be very prOftably
employed scarcely admits of a CUES
ton. On grass lands it is generally
withheld too lOng-until The gras
roots are exhausted, and there il
nothing left upon which to build NJ
crop. If on high land the top dreS
sing should be applied MS early 8.
immediately after the second year,
crop is taken of, or in the succeed
ing fall. Then it has vigorous root
to work upon, and by top. dressing
annually, or every other year, NOW
ing fields might ne kept running fo
ten or fifteen years, and produce from
II ton to a ton and half annually
This would save a considerable COS
in blowing, dwelling, and the cost o
seed.
On moist lands, once well set in
grass. swale lands, lands on the mar
gin of meadows. a slight annual top
dressing will help them 10 produce
profitable crops for fifty years in sue
cessiOn, and the fodder will he good
Dry cows, young cattle and working