Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-10-21
NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL MA
NURING.

The American Rural Home publishes
a communication from I. 2. Root, one |
of the best farmers in the State, on the
subject of manuring, in which he makes
the following statement. showing the SUI
periority of raising and blowing in heavy
crops of manure over system of negli-
gence called manuring in the natural
way Two adjoining fields, divided by a
rail fence, had long been under cultiva-
ton, and clover was often plowed in as
a manure for succeeding wheat crop.
The fence was taken away, and the whole
as one field, summer fallowed and sown
with wheat The strip where the fence
had stood, and where the grass had so
long grown and decayed on the surface,
did not produce nearly the crop which
grew on either side where the clover had
been ploughed under.
There were strong reasons for this
difference. The grass that grew and
decayed on its surface afforded little else
than vegetable mold. This could not
enrich the soil several inches down; and
did not possess in itself the fertilizing
character Of clover The clover was
plowed in, and was ultimately mixed
and diffused all through the soil, where
the roots Of growing plants were to pen
citrate. The vegetable mold remained
only on the surface, and could only op-
crate as mulch.
We have heard such facts as this cited
in proof of the folly Of the practice of
spreading yard manure on the surface
and never blowing in. The truth is,
this mode of manuring would be of lit
tie use if it were practicable on cultiva-
ted fields. But fortunately the very
act of cultivating works in the manure.
and it cannot, as matter of course, re-
main at the surface which the pillow is
throwing under. 1t is excellent prac.
tice to allow spread manure to remain
On the surface for time, especially
through autumn and winter, until thu
water of rains and the melting of snow.
difuse the soluble parts intimately will
the earth. When this is done then i
E the time to pillow under this enriched
E stratum, and it will be worth double tn
same manure in Jumps unmixed with tn
6 soil. t-s. .lt 49,
+ Top-dressing grass without plowinI
under the manure is an exception, be
e cause the fbrous character of the root
serve to carry down the manure in solu
!. ton, which could not penetrate the com
pact layers of bare soil. But turnin
under the manure is often of great Der
s eft even on grass-more especially o
e thin upland. Surface manuring on sue
- land, although beneficial to a certai
y degree, will not give it the power to gro
heavy grass and withstand sever
: droughts. Men are apt to run to e,
.s tremes, and having discovered the su,
n cess of surface applications in certai
e cases, they may carry the practice tt
v far, and omit the deep, thorough and il
innate diffusion of manure effected
q sU1ution, by tiIoruugn Proving, anu /
is repeated narrowing, which can alor
o supply rich and mellow bed of cart
:, for the extension of the roots of the GRO
n The State of Nebraska has done yer
g handsome thing in the appointment
Fe a new holiday, "Arbor Day" Beside
U the enjoyment of the occasion, the pc
S. pie will accomplish Alright vigorous pro
&c ress in forest tree planting. 1t will
as observed yearly on the 10th of Apr
o. 1t is an agricultural festival purely, al
n it is devoted to planting fruit and fore
ed trees. The State Agricultural Socie
at has offered a premium of 500 to t
on farmers society of the county viii
nd plants the largest number of trees
ut the 10th, and $50 to the man who int
M vidually plants the most.