The Republican journal., 1871-08-17
VOLUME ~.
Surface Manuring.

iiOucS VI uSlHS luaIuIc, anu Illlillf tp1
cluded that surface manurin@ is the best,
propose to give some of the reasons 70
coming to this conclusion. In doing thi:
I shall only refer to such manure as is made
in the stables and barnyards in Western
New York, where large amount of straw
and other litter is mixed with the manur e
The first one to discover fully the advan
tages of surface manuring, was John John
ston, of near Geneva. n Y. This was
done accidentally, in this way: Having
land badly infested With red root, he ma
nured it early in the Fall to induce the red
root seed to grow, so as to plow it under
in the Spring, and thus clear his land o
this pest. But he found greater advan-
tage III the fact, that the succeeding cror
was much the best where the manure was
thus applied. This led to repeating the cX-
pertinent several years, and until fully con
vinced that one load applied to grass OF
clover in the Fall did more good than two
used in any other way Then he wrote ac-
counts of his experience in surface manur-
ing to the agricultural papers. These were
at first doubted and disputed; but Mr.
tombstone persevered, his heavy crops OF
wheat, corn and grass being the best evi-
dence he desired. When men doubted the
benefits described, he invited them to com c
and see for themselves. Many went, saw
and were convinced; the very heavy crops,
for which Mr.. Johnston is so widely and
Justly celebrated, were evidence that could
not be doubted. Many tried surface manur-
ing, and also found it the best course they
had ever pursued and not Il few have also
strongly recommended this system in the
papers.
Some of the reasons in favor of surface
manuring are, that nearly all the valuable
portions of manure being soluble, are
washed out and taken into and completely
diftused through the surface soil by the
Fall rains, so as to be in the best possible
situation and condition to be used by the
growing plant. And then there is little
chance for loss, as when manure is spread
all fermentation stops, and no more am
mona Is formed or set free but the strength
OF the manure is washed into and retained
by the surface soil. The leading agricul-
tural chemist shows that as DR.. Cameron
says, ''by a beautiful provision of nature
the tbsorbtive power of sois-they will be
retained until required to nourish the
plants" liebig also states that if water,
holding in solution ammonia, potash, phos-
phoric or silicc acids, be brought in CON
tact with the soil, these substances uisap-
pear almOst Immediately from the solution,
the soil withdrawing them from the water.
But perhaps to the practical farmer, the
best proof of all is that his crops find the
strength of the manure inst where and
when they want it that corn, thus manured
the previous Fall, comes up rank and yigor-
Gus, grows better and yields better, than
when manGreu with the same amount of
manure in any other way. This | have
found to be the case on heavy sod but
when manure is plowcd under it does not
Il. III III
help is most needed to give the crop start
the manure is mainly out Of reach, and the
corn, If on sod looks rather yellow and
poor and it is said that it must have tim
for the sod to rot, and for the roots to get
through to the manure, before the crop can
do well. Besides, when covered up by the
turroW, the rains do not rs readily reach
and dissolve the manure, and spread it all
through the surface soil, where it will be
found and taken up by the roots of plants.
Hence there is no way in which manure can
he as thoroughly ditiused through the soil,
just where it is needed and easiest and best
found by the roots Of plants, as by surface
manuring- unless it be by liquid manurng,
and that is but another way OF surface ma
nuring.
1t is also found that manure spread in The
tall is good mulch that it gives grass and
clover good start, and that this extra
growth, together with the manure, is a
valuable protection of the land and roots
OF the grasses through the winter IL is
also found that when manure is applied to
wheat, whether spread before sowing and
worked into the surface, or finely spread
soon afterwards, it answers the same pur-
pose, giving the crops better and a strong
er growth, and making it less liable to
freeze ont; while the larger growth and the
manure is a protection to both the roots
and the soil. Grass thus nanured in the
Fan will start much earlier and better i'll
the Spring, and may be made to furnish
quite growth to turn under for corn;
while this green and succulent sod will rot
much sooner and more largely help the
crop; SO that surface manuring in the Fall
has the threefold effect of enrching the
land, mulching and protecting the soil and
the wheat, clover and grass roots, and
making a start for green manuring in the
Spring.
Another advantage of thus manuring in
the Fall, is that there is time to pile, fer
inent and rot the manure, and thus put it
IN much better condition to be used as food
Tor the plants. 1t is very generally known
that the principal value Of manure consists
in the amount of available ammonia it may
contain. DR.. Voelcker, an English chem
ist who has Investigated this point at great
length, says ''perfectly fresh barnyard ma
nure contains but small proportion of free
ammonia, and comparatively but little nitro
gen, and of course but little ammonia ex-
lists in fresh dung in state in which it can
be used by the growing plants" Also that
''mo5t of the nitrogen is gradually liberated
as the fermentation of the dung progresses
it being found that there is a regular in
crease of soluble organic matters, including
nitrogen, which keeps pace with the pro-
gress of fermentation" 1t also appears
that Sin fresh manures (with abundant lit
ter) the largest part of the insoluble organic
matter consists of straw in an almost en-
tirely undccomposed state. In rotting
manure, the straw is converted into humus,
the compounds of which, with potash, soda
and ammonia, are soluble, and of dark
brown color. The humus mostly fixes the
ammonia that results from the decay of
heterogeneous matters" At the same time
other valuable matters are brought into Il
more soluble and available condition.
True, it is said that there is a loss Of am
monia by fermentation; and this may be
the case when manure is spread out in tho
yard or where there is no straw or other
absorbent mixed in the pile; but with ma
nure as made here, this is not the case. DIR.
Voelcker says that "durng the fermenta-
tion of dung, ufmic, humic, and other
organic acids are formed, which fix the
ammonia generated in the decomposition
of the nitrogenized constituents" DR..
Cameron says that it is an error to suppose
that the manure loses by fermentation, if
in d compact state; all that evaporates is
water, and small quantity of carbonic
acid; hardly a trace Of ammonia escapes.
"During the fermentation of manure, its
nitrogen, (for there is no ammonia in fresh
natural manure,) is converted slowly into
ammonla at the same time other constitu
ents of the dung-carbonic, hydrogen, &C.,
are converted into certain acids which COM
bine with and fix the ammonia" 1t is said
that most Of the foul odors that arise from
such manure, when spread out, as well as
in the pile, are due to the escape of car
bonc acid, carburetted hydrogen, and other
foul gases, that are not of much value in
manure. AS ammonia constitutes the larger
part of the value of manure, and much
more can be formed and saved by fermen-
tation than can be secured in any other
way, of course the system of piling, fer
menting and rottening through the Summer,
and applying in the Fall, may be expected
to give the best results. That 1t actually
does give much the best results, as shown