The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-10-03
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
"The Poor Mans Manure"

fOOT IuUUUTt.
In late number of the Country Cen
Hemdn, correspondent mentions num-
Der Of cases where the growth Of crop
was increased by blowing under snow
which according to the old saying is term
ed "the poor mans manure" because it
costs him nothing to procure draw and
spread, There are two ways in which the
benefit Of the snow is to be accounted for
which we wish to examine.
The first is the amount of ammonia
which is contains, and which is brought
down from the atmosphere. Our object
is not simply to prove that the snow con-
tains ammonia, but to determine the real
amount, so that we may know whether
tho benefit is so small as to be only true
in theory, or whether there is distinct,
measured, appreciable benefit.
Eminent chemists differ greatly as to
the quality of ammonia in the atmosphere
varying from one part in ten millions to
one part in fifty million-the latter is
probably nearest the truth. As the guam
tity or carbonic acid in the air is much
greater, the ammonia is all obviously in
the state of q carbonate. This is absorb
ed by rain and snow. The quality thus
brought down thus varies with the fire.
quency of the rain or snow,or rather with
the length of time which has elapsed since
the last previous fall If it has not rain
ed for long time, the ammonia comes
down more freely than after it has rained
long. The last rain water Of long storm
has very little. The quantity also var
les with locality, being greatest near cit
les. The quantity is determined more
easily than the quantity contained in the
air, and varies from one part in million
of water, to one part in thirty million
The yearly rainfall is found to contain
only about six or seven pounds of am
monia to the acre. Good soil contains
fifty or sixty times as much. A good
crop of wheat has about 40 pounds of am
monia, or seven times as much as comes
down in the whole year. A heavy crop
Of clover has about 100 pounds of nitro
gen, or fifteen times at much as the rain
and snow furnish. About 40 pounds Of
Peruvian guano or of nitrate of soda, would
furnish as much nitrogen as usually falls
in year,or six bushels of grain with $40
pounds of wheat straw would do the same
or $50 pounds of clover.
We may hence infer that the amount
Of fertilizing material in a fall of three
inches of snow, (thc amount mentioned by
our correspondent which would not be
fttieth part of the whole yearly fall, would
be so small that it could not be percoiv.
ed by the eye in the growth of the crop,
being only about two-hundreth part,
more or less, of the amount consumed by
the growing crop. Its influence could
therefore be determined only by the ac-
curate measuring of the product. AS the
figures we have given are liable to vary
with the influences we have pointed out,
the results may be sometimes more and
sometimes less, but they would not be
widely different.
We must therefore look for other rca-
Sons for the great difference in the crop
where the snow was plowed under.
Now every intelligent cultivator knows
that the condition of the soil has nearly
as much to do with the growth as the
manure alone. Earth in clods like brick
bats, will not give half the crop yielded
by the same when finely pulvcrized. We
have known crop doubled by the use Of
an efficient clod crusher, as was proved
by leaving a portion of the field with un-
crushed clods. Our correspondent says
his soil was light clay, Now, we suggest
that one of the chief benefits of the snow
was its mechanical looscning influence
Three inches plowed under must have pre-.
vented the furrow slice from settling down
compactly on the soil below; a cavity
was left beneath it, causing it to drain
and dry without becoming heavy and
cloddy,and it was probably left in more
friable condition. This is further proved
by the statement that "nearly every hill
grew, while the rest failed more OR less q
We all know that termination is favor.
ed more by fine mellow soil than by
anything else, and that where the earth
is lumpy or hard, the crop is almost sure
to be uneven or with more or less failures
We do not say positively that this was
the whole reason of the difference, because
not being present we are not informed Of
all the circumstances, hut merely suggest
the strong probability. Manure has
much less influence on mere germina
tion.
The advantage Of the melting snow
over rain in starting spring grass, may b
owing to rain beating down hard and
compacting the soil, and soon running off
while snow comes down gently, and il
melting, furnishes uniform irrigatinl
streams for long time.
1t is well to understand these causes
because correct reasons, well understood
often prevent serious errors in practice il
many ways.
Future Sheep Husbandry.