Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-02-15
AsrifuItaral.
Applying Manure.

Tbe-s are two methods OF applying man.
~. enc being to spread it upon the land as
- hailed out fresh from the barn. the
other is to put in heaps and spread 1t ouly
after il fermented. Our owniexperience
and iuament are to the effect that the first
metl,d is the best. The editor OF the
NryachHsetts PlosgAmGa is OF the same
onion. In an article on the subject he
vs.:
1t Is rather late now - try the expert
ment this season, for the reason that most
farmers who practice this method for the
purpose of having the manure termented
and ready for use in spring, have already
hauled il out and piled it up But n theFc
is any one who has not flushed TINS loo,
we ask him as a special favor TO change his
plans a Iirtle. and. instead OF heaping il all
ND spread one half OF IL on one half Of the
land Immediately, all fresh from under his
cattle and treat the balance in the usual
wsy. that is. pile II up aud let it lie 10 be
worked over once or twice in spring, and
then applied to the other half. lie will find
the result Oh the land where Il is sprerd
now SO much superior that he will need no
further argument To convince hiia tina, II =
the better. and IL most certainly j. the cas-
Ter and the cheaper way.
The point i just here. In the biz heaps
EXPOSED TO the weather. all the wash by
teaching, which IS very great. goes into one
place, just under where the heap lies. and
1t l. for the most part lost for all practical
uses 10 the field. But where the manure
l. spread evenly over the suTface directly
from the cart, all the wash i carried into
the soil where it i wanted. In one case il
goes where II j. not wanted, and in the
other where II Is. 1t makes all the differ
encc in the world. IL one case it l. lost.
Id the other saved. But this j. not all.
In addition 10 the constituents the ma
nurc which are dissolved out ami carried
into, ami thoroughly comminglcd with the
SOL. there will be noticed some mechanical
action IN the SOL itself which appears To
be due 10 the fact that has been covered
NJ. You Will notice that Ia places WHORE
the covering h. lain for any considerable
time the soil will be more open and porous.
while the roots OF plalis VIII be stronger
ana more numerous. This effect may be
more perceptiblc on s;in and strong soils
perhaps, but there viii be i percepii5le
diff renee n all soils that arc well covered
up through the winter months so tar
from there being any loss from this expos
ure OF manure on the surface. which we
have shown cannot take place. because the
soluble constituents arc held firmly by the
absorbent power and grasp 81 the soil. and
because the process, of fern NATION j. Slow
ana gradual when not completely arrested.
II has been found by scientific iuve>tigatjon.
thar while manure j living exposed upon
the surface, the heterogeneous constituents.
especially the nitraies, are increasin. 10
quantity more or less according 70 the tenn
peraiure. and the character and quality OF
the manure itself Instead of loss there is
a. actual gain in the percentage OF nitro
gen.
Now we do not wish to be understood 4,
ar ling against the use OF iermeutcd man
ure. All manures Of the rank and coarscr
Kind. such as come fresh from under the
stalls OF tie barn, must be broken down
ami dccoDposed before they are in q con-
dition 10 furnish food Tor plants, There
can be no dispute about that. Plants can
not live on coarse and undccompo>cd ma
nures any more than animals can live on
rocks And il will be noticed that Il i a
fall application OF which we are speaking.
and not the application OF rank. green
mauures IN the spring.
Apply 10 the surface, in the fall. such
mauures rs are commonly hAuled out al
that season and piled Up TO be worked over
And compOsted, thus giving them time 70
weather aud 70 be broken down hv the
iro>ts OF the land where they are wanted.
and al the same time giving the soil i coy
erns which experience has proved - be
most useful ard beneficial - il If 49,
one doubts il let him give il a fair trial
Let him treat one hall % the manure and
one half the land in the usual WAY. aud
spread one half OF the manure on the other
half OF the land and observe the difference
If the latter piece j. not As good as the
former, his experience will be different
from ours We have no doubt it viii be
better, but If it were only a good, YOU see
what a saving OF labor has been effected,
Manure ought TO be covered and pro-
tected from the weather and the rains uu-
der the barn or under sheds, and If they
are carted out and heaped up on the field.
they ought TO have deep covering OF
muck or loan through the winter and DIR
ing the process Of fermentation in spring.
hul If they are spread directly upon the
SOIL where they arc wanted. there i no
waste from washing and very little. II any.
from evaporation, during the season 10
which we allude.