Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-01-30
Drawing and Spreading Manure in
Winter.

THERE is no economy in allowing ma
nure to accumulate in piles in winter, un-
less the object is to convert it into COM
post the following spring and summer. |
intended for plowing under for spring
crops, it should be hauled out and spread
as soon as possible. If hauled when the
ground is covered with snow, so much
the better, especially if it is to be applied
to meadow or pasture, since then all
grinding of the crowns of the plants is
avoided. In either case the worry aud
shaking of the team is avoided, while
drawing the wagon over rough ground.
There are number of valid reasons
why manure should never be hauled in
the spring The principal ones are the
muddy state of the roads, the poaching of
the soil, the multiplicity of other work TO
be done, and the consequent surety that
other important work will be left undone.
Many field of young grass that, on
account of the drought, failed to get
good start, may be saved by spreading
crude, long or strawy manure, or even
mulch of straw itself, over the surface Of
the ground after it is frozen. This will
prevent freezing and thawing, and, conse-
Quently, heaving-out in the spring, and
give good crop either for moving or
pasture the next season. If intended for
moving, however, it will be necessary to
gather together the long portions with a
horse rake after the ground has settled in
the spring to be drawn away for compost
ing or applying to land for plowing un-
der.
The Western Rural has heretofore
shown the value of new clean straw and
corn stalks plowed under, as mechani-
cal means of improving some of our
firm and stiff soils in the West. If they
have been previously trodden by stock
and partially saturated with the urine
and mixed With the droppings, so much
the better. We have also shown that the
manure made on the farm costs only the
moving from the yard TO the fields since
1t must be eventually carted somewhere
to get rid Of the accumulation when u
large portion of its most valuable con
stituents have been dissipated, 1t is,
therefore, money in the pocket of every
farmer to haul it at his earliest convent
ence, that its value may be conserved.
One of the principal reasons against
the hauling of manure in winter is the
the opinion, not thoroughly wellfounded
that the rains of the winter and spring
will wash the more soluble parts entirely
away, The observing farmer, however,
probably will have noticed that, when
placed in piles and allowed to remain
during the summer months, the increased
vegetation will show but a short distance
about the piles. The fact is that, except
ON very tenacious soils or steep hillsides,
the effect is observable but for short
distance, Calculations must be made
not to spread next the bottom of declivi-
| ties where the inclination is steep. For
| tunately, there are but few situations in
/ the West where il is necessary to cultl-
vate such lands,
! When manure is hauled on meadows or
! pastures, it should be spread as evenly as
! possible directly from the wagon or sled
and the frozen chunks broken up and
| evenly distributed as soon as thawed
| thereafter. We advise the application oi
manure to grass whenever possible, in
preference to other crops; for plenty Of
grass and hay and plenty of stock makes
rich farmers in any country. When the
meadow is broken for succeeding crops
the good results are always seen.
In the application of manure we should
not advise heavy spreading ON meadows
unless the supply We're ample. A ligh
covering will be sufficient toprevent seriou!
alternate freezing ana thawing, and this
is what does the mischief either to younl
meadows or young wheat. Better cove
all lightly than portion heavily and the
balance not at all, II there is not ma
nure enough for all, however, cover tn,