The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-10-05
THURSDAY EVENING. OCT. 5. 1871.
EXPERIMENTS.

VALUE OF MUCK.-ln discussion be-
fore the Little Falls Club, Mr.. A. j.. Fish
stated that twelve years ago he drew out
5000 loads of muck, and applied it at the
rate of fifty loads to the acre, pulverizing
and mixing it with the soil. The result
was good crops without further cultivation.
Two years later he drew out 1000 loads,
and applied it at the rate of 100 loads to
the acre, spread with a plank to which was
attached tongue to hitch the team. The
land was planted to corn. After taking
two crops from the land it was put down
in meadow, and it has produced at the rate
Of two tons of hay per acre ever since,
though before the application it did not
yield one ton per acre. 1t did not act so
quickly as manure, but was more lasting.
DRAINAGE.-In the discussion upon
drainage, Henry f. French expressed the
opinion that any land in which water stands
at any season stagnant within two or three
feet of the surface, would be benefited by
drainage /; that tile drainage will be found
cheaper than stone, when the former can
be obtained at SIG per thousand, delivered
that, as general rule, the tiles should be
put four feet deep if there ia fall sufficient
to carry the water off (; and that, on ordi-
nary loamy soil, or in peat swamps, side
drains may be put thirty to forty feet
apart, and be pretty sure of good results,
if four feet deep the deeper they are, the
farther apart they may be. Tan is re-
commended for covering the joints also
turf and sawdust. Another speaker said
that drainage makes cold land warmer, wet
land dryer, dry land wetter, heavy land
lighter, and in some cases light land more
compact. Land thoroughly drained, if it is
hard land, can be cultivated at about one
half the cost undrained of the same quality.
FALL FLOWING FOR CoRN.---In an
agricultural Survey ofDelaware county,"
Thomas c. Jones states, in reference to
corn planting, that the best farmers break
up clover or clover and timothy sod in the
fall or winter, and that great benefits re-
suit from the practice. The soil, on ac-
count of the ameliorating influence of the
winter and frosts of winter, is more friable,
and consequently more fertile. This mel
low condition of the soil remains all sum-
mer, and may be readily distinguished from
since portion of Mr.. Jones' sod for corn
was not plowed until late in the spring
the remainder of the field has been plowed
i'll tlic Liz ICSult was tlittl tuC COiu
upon the late blowing was nearly all eaten
up by the cut-worms while that upon the
fall-plowed portion was not disturbed, the
worms stopping at the very row where the
latter commenced.
HEN MANURE.-ln speaking of the
value of hen manure, Mr.. Ward stated that
last season he plowed up about ten acres,
and carted on about thirty loads TO the
acre; and at planting time took the hen
manure made during the year, and dropped
in each hill as much as one would take up
in his fingers, the whole going over about
an acre. The result was a yield Of sixty
per cent. more potatoes OH the portion
where the hen manure was used than with
the other manure alone. 1t was stated
that $40 worth of manure can be made
from twenty-five hens by forming compost
with peat or rich sod.
ROTTED VS.. UNROTTED MANURE
Judge Owen owned twelve acres OF the
poorest land on the Mohawk. He applied
400 loads of fresh or raw stable manure,
with but little improvement to soil or crops.
He then put on 900 yards of well rotted
dung which had been accommodating for five
years, making solid mass of rich manure.
The field became a garden by this treat
ment, and illustrated the superiority of
rotted manures.