Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-01-22
Mulching Grain in the Winter.

Within the past few years the old
idons In regard to many farm opera
tions have been discarded, and new
and moro progressive ones taken their
places. Not many years since it was
almost tho universal practice to bury
all kinds Of manures in tho soil, as IT
was thought that to leave them on tho
surface would cause q loss of the
creator part OF their valuable proper
tics, which no doubt sometimes occurs
with very volatile kinds of manure,
when upplied during long drouths,
But experiments conducted for tho
purpose have shown that tho soluble
as well as volatile portions of nearly
oil the material used for enriching
land, are carried down by rains and
dows and absorbed by the soil, instead
of passing off into tho atmosphere
therefore IL is not necessary to bury
manurcs oeeply to insure the best re-
suits. Another old notion formerly
quito prevalent among farmers was,
that they required largo amount of
coarse manures with heavy soils in
order to make them light, porous, and
congenial to the growths of plants
but this was only an expensive substi-
tutc for subsoiling and understanding,
now so extensively practccd in all
clay and other heavy soils.
Instead of breaking up meadows
and pastures every few years in order
to enrich tho land and mako it pro
duce heavy crop of grass, the prac-
tice now with all good farmers is to
top dress with coarse or fine manure
whenever it is required. Where barn
yard manure can be obtaiLed, it is, no
doubt, tho best material for this pur-
pose; but almost any vegetable sub
stance may be used with benefit as
q mulch for grass in winter. Straw,
coarse hay, leaves, sawdust, or any
thing that will shade the ground and
prevent alternat freezing and thaw-
ing will do more or less good, and
give beneficial results. The richer
the materials used the better; still,
those containingn perceptiblc amount
of plant food produce good results in
localities where the ground freezes in
winter, but is not covered with snow,
If we cover plot of grass with old
newspapers in the fall, and keep thom
on all winter, we find that the grass
thus protected starts earlier in spring,
and makes much more vigorous
growth than roots adjoining left un-
covered The scientist may point out
to us tho reason why this is so; but
the fact is the main thing which in
terests tho farmer, and when he
knows that certain operations produce
certain beneficial results, he should
not fail to employ them whenever and
wherever possible.
We think it has been proved to the
satisfaction of all who have tried the
experiment, that there is no better
way of improving meadows and pas
lures than by top dressing them in
autumn. And if this be true, and We
think no ono will doubt it, then why
not practice tho same thing with win
ter wheat and rye, as both are true
grasses and are benefited as much by
slight protection in winter as those
species exclusively cultivated for hay
or pasturing. In tho Middle and
many of the Western States the win
tcrs are often severe, being dry and
cold with no snow upon the ground
to protect winter grain consequently
losses occur which might be in great
measure avoided if the coarse waste
materials of the farm were saved and
applied as q mulch to these crops.
In prairie countries where Winter
grain usually suffers more than else
where from exposure TO cold, dry
weather in winter, there is seldom
any lack of materials for mulching
for low prairie grasses usually abound
and the cost OF gathering this waste
material and spreading it over th'
wheat fields in autumn could not fai
to be q profitable investment. In ex
posed localities, where the winds ar,
unobstructed in their course by wood
or hodges, it wonld be necessary t,
have this grass partially decaycd be
fore it is applied, TO prevent its blow
ing away.
We know that many will object Il
this suggestion on account Of cost, bu
lot every farmer try the experimen
on small scale, starting with n hal
acre or more, and keep correct nc
count Of cost and increase in product
and then decide whether no can affor
to mulch his wheat fields or not. And
further, do not decide from tho result
OF one experiment, because one seaso
may be more favorable than another
but try to find out tho best method {
insuring a good crop every year.
is this uncertainty Of having anythin
to sell for cash every year that is in
povcrishing our farmers moro tina
the fluctuations in the price of fari
products If those who depend upo
their wheat TO bring them money ca
adopt some method of culture TO il
sure heavy crop, tho variations
price will not cause serious loss ft
The difference between thirty bushe
per aero in favorable and ten in vi
favorable seasons is greater than CIV,
occurs in tho price Of this grain.
A man who does not obtain mo-
than twenty bushels of wheat p'
acre is not making money by farmin
no matter where he is located or Il
prico at which he sells his crop.
our farmers would get out of debt al
have money to lay aside or spend
luxuries they must pay more attcntiC
to the product Of each acre they {
ready own than 10 the accumulate
OF other acres. -Neo York Sun.