Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-01-25


To prepare it for manure dig in the
summer or fall and place under n she'd,
let the irusts of the'comihg winter dry il
thoroughly. When dry one cord contains
rs much geine and salts us the manure OF
q COW for three months, In the spring when
ready to use mix it either two cords to
one with your cattle mauuFe, or with
eight or ten bushels of ashes to each cord
mix and shovel over well and apply to
your land the same us other manure. When
the ashes cannot be obtained use, instestl
30 lbs. of potash or 90 lbs. of pearl ash to
the cord dissolved in water aud aJ Etdto
the heap. Wet the pile evenly and then
shovel over. ia turning under of green
drops we only retUrn 90 the soil what the
plant has drawn nut together with the
gases it has. absorbed from the air. One
crop allowed to grow and die and then
turned in is worth three turned In green.
Green plants ierment, dry plants decay.
Thus far we have only spoken of manures,
animal and vegetable, containing GENE or
food for the plants. The second class are
those salts which stimulate vegetable
growth by their chemical action. To this
class belong lime, ashes (carbonates)
nitrates and. phOsphates. The most
valuable among these to us are wood
ashes, q bushel containing Al lbs. potash,
constituting a valuable fertilizer applied
either alone or in compost on grass OF
grain. The potash by its chemica action
setting free the lime and salts of the soil,
also dissofVing the sand, which forms n
large percentage of the stock Of the grain
and grass!fW the other salts which enter
into vegetable life, nitrates are the mosl
active. The great source OF this,saltis the
atmosphere From it the plant draws in its
growth. The presence of inter in the soil
has powerful effect in fastening vege.
tation, and did not the price render it i'm.
practicable, saltpetre would form one oil
the most valuable ingredients in ouI
manures. Even now | would sooner ex.
pend $50 for saltpetre to put on my land
than fora ton OF superphosphates. Nitrate
of soda can be purchased in the cities fol
80 dollars per ton and when properly
composted l think may make an
economical fertilizer for our moist lands
| do not say wet land, for all manure i.
thrown away on land that is undertake
by water.
In the application of the manure to the
soil, experience must to great extent
govern the farmer as to the best method,
for his particular soil. A few genera
rules may be laid down:
Do not draw or spread it till you are
ready to mix with the soil. Sunshine OF
rain soon deprive it of its most valuabl,
elements. Do not cover it deep in the
earth; rather mix it with the surface soil
II buried deep its virtue is expended be
yond the reach of plant roots. Heavy Of
clayey soils will bear larger quantity o
manure than light and sandy. They are
slower in action. Manure does not de
compose as'quickly and they retain it fo
II longer time. 1t is better for light sol
to receive small and frequent dressings
Have the manure pulverized finely Al
possible aud mixed thoroughly with thu
soil. Ashes, lime and plaster are best fo
a top dressing. Sprinkle evenly and very
thinly, especially with lime and plaster
TO recapitulate, | would recommend
save al Your yard manure, compost it b,
using freely, straw, muck and earth
Dry muck and earth, for sheep and hogs
Use plaster on horse manure. Finel,
pulverized earth in privy and sink spout
Have a. compost heap of muck an,
straw and save all the ashes and SCOT I,
mix with this; mix when ready to use
with this YOU can apply lime dissolved il
water. K6cp7all manurrs sheltered from
ready to mix with the soil; for stimuan
nNn(rres use ashes, plaster and lime;
il addition to what you can manufacture
you wish to purchase fertilizers, bu
nitrate of soda to mix with your mpost
The phosphates OF commerce ar
largely aduitcrated with ebay and peat
substances which are abundant with us
and can be obtained at small expense
and the ph0Sph0ric acid which they cor
tain is less active stimulant than nitro
we had much better burn the bushes an
rubbish with which many of our farmer
are encumbered for potash, than to pur
chase it in. concentrated forms at exorb
tant prices 1.-the fruit and vegetable fan
mer with q city market may afford il
but aUe cannot.
In conclusion permit me to call you
attention to u fact, which though no
strictly connected with the subject of thi
essay, is with that under discussion by til
club, viz: How to make farming pay
When we.see the avidity with which tn
manufacturer and merchant seize ever
discovery Of science and invention in AR
availing themselves of all that is new an
good, we reasonably look for core
spending progress on the part of the ayr
cuturalists; but it is oitener the eXceI
ton than the rule to find n farmer who
striving to.unravel the mysteries of plar
growth andimake them useful in increas
ing his crops, or even willing to avail
himself OF them when pointed out. d
farmers use every improvement that will
remove the drudgery of out and in-doo
work and lessen the expense OF labor
The mechanic does this and could nc
succeed ihout it. Compare the shops i
our village with those of forty years age
and then compare the. farms and whic
has made the most progress? Yet farmin
is an infinitely more scientific and CON
plicated business and consequently infin
aely more susceptible of improvement
Yet in the main we carry on our farms a
was done by those who preceded us. Th
we must admit is wrong, and that onl
by a radica change can we hope to max
farming pay. .
AT the conclusion of Capt Will
Jams essay the subject of Fertilizer
was further discussed by the member
of the club present. 1t was generally
agreed that too much of the best par
of barn-yard manure is allowed to ruI
to waste, and the great object of tn
farmer should be to devise means TO
absorbing the LIQUID of stables