Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-04-17
@eneral agriculture.
FERTILIZERS.


A Paper read at the Meeting Of the State
Board OF Agriculture, at EnOsburEh
Falls, Jan. 30, 1874, BY e. II. TOwle, of
Franklin.
10 make farming profitable, in Vermont,
we must have plenty of tertilizing material
we have OF this, united with judicious culti-
vation, rotation and general good manage
ment, the better crops we shall get the
quantity and quality will be improved, while
our fields will be increasing in fertility every
year.
/ The manure made upon our farms from
the keeping Of stock contains the elements
most necessary for the enriching of our
lands aud the production Of crops, aHd when
afforded in sufficient quantity there need be
little fear, il tho conditions above named are
met, of not securing these results. Most
farmers have, from experience, a considera-
Bile knowledge of the value Of manure upon
their lands; they fnd that with it the soil
will produce abundantly, without it vast
difference is perceptible, while il long con-
tiuued, exhaustion and sterility ensues
There are very few farmers who succeed by
the most diligent labor aud careful manage
ment, in securing sufficient quantity of fer.
tiIizing material upon their farms to pro-
duce the most satisfactory results, or what
the soil is capable Of returning with plenty
OF manure aud good cultivation. How often
we hear farmers say taat they have not suf'
fcient manure for this or that purpose, and
the small yields or partial failure of their
crops is attributed to this deficiency. With
these facts so plainly apparent, farmers
should learn more the value of all manuria
substances within reach, aud endeavor, so faI
as possible, to make them available for the
production of better crops and the more
permanent enriching Of the soil. This will
be found to pay as good a return for the Ia
Dor required as any branch OF industry oil
the farm, indeed there can be no good mol
successful farming here, if anywhere, with
/ out manure, aud any device, plan or system
that tends to increase the quantity and quail
ity of fertilizers made upon the tarln shouIC
be at once adopted, as an improvement o
the greatest Importance
We are just beginning to learn in th
matter, and what makes it the more Difficult
is, that the theory is good for nothing with
out the practical part; there is work in it
but it is OF a kind that will pay.
We all know in this section where 81
much hay is grown that fine manure or com
post makes an excellent fertilizer when sp
piled as a top-dressing for grass lands, snt
that where properly applied it often produ
ces wonderful results.
found by calculation that = two-hors,
load will produce two dollars worth of hay
over and above what would otherwise haV
been realized.
Taking this as granted, and | think few
will differ with me in that respect, how caI
farmers more pro6tably employ time and la
Dor than in increasing the quantity OF ma
nure to bs judlciously used upon the farm
Aud this can be done in many ways 1t i
not only the droppings-the solid portion
that is valuable; the liquid part should als'
be saved and for this purpose large quan
tty of absorbents will be required.
Ii we could have plenty of dried muck
sand, sawdust, straw aud ali sorts of vast,
material, we should have no difficulty il
doubling the amount Of manure made upol
the farm from our stock in winter, and o
such kind as will do good service in tn
production OF crops as good, according u
competent authority, as the solid pOrtiOl
alone.
Several years since JOSIAH Quincy, Jr.,
successful Massachusetts, farmer, said in ~
lation to manure that it was the most val
liable crop he produced, and thus was tn
way he made it so,
He soiled his cattle aud each COW pro
duced 81 cords OF solid aud of liquid ma
oure annually, making " cords in all. IL
used twice as much muck to mix with THU
making 20 cords from each COW a year
This was then worth from FIVE to eight doll
ars per cord in the vicinity OF Boston, whic
would make the manure produced from
cow worth as much as her milk.
Oaunot we get an idea or two from thii
worth remembering aud putting into praC
tice, so far ~ our circumstances will admit
By paying particular attention to this ma
ter, the products of the farm can be great
increased, aud if fed upon the land, as the
should be, there will be constantly il
creasiug fertility of the soil, yielding goo
crops aud still growing better, Just as jud
ciously feeding COW will tend to an il
creased production OF milk and improve
condition Of the animal at the same time.
We must feed our land il we would hav
it feed US, and the more generously We dei
with it in this respect, the greater bencf
shall we receive in return and the most
the material for this purpose must be fu
nshed CT produced at home.
Few farmers havs all the manure the
need or could pro6tably use upon the
lands, aud while they are making good vi
of what they have and are increasing tn
amount TO the best Of their ability, il wi
+ DO to supplement or supply any de6cienc
by purchasing special fertilizers, but thes
: must be employed as aids aud not as sui
stitute to any great extent. Tor manure.
l have been requested to give my eXper
, ence with superphosphates The most {
my meadows are arabic land aud of such
, character as to require blowing pretty u
ten, in order to produce continued goC
crops Of grass. Like most farmers | ha,
been unable TO make sufficient manure f
all purposes of the farm and eight or +,
years ago concluded to try the use OF supe
phosphate Of lime, Of which had formed
favorable impression through tho agricultu
al press. had an idea that this fsrtiliz
could be used to good advantage along wi