Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1874-01-27

anu ~ iN WAS AN'titNA ~ ltfgs eA'i'' w
il almost always would DC. then 20 ahead
But that they mu,, not be disappointed il
lands 80 treated did not at first give the
cool returns they expected. tina, 1t mast
have time. one to three years. to become
adspted TO the better kinds OF grasses.
Evening session.
TOP DRESSING.
Mr.. Newton. Said hc hgd had some
experience en- top dressing. With good sue
cess: used we'll roltrd MANURE; should
apply "a, soon a, possible after haymg;
taoushi sheep an adyaulase To pastures.
Mr.. Fierce. Thought nature taught Us
10 top dress; recommended turning the
wash al roads onto cur fields; Thought
an, great damage to eur haV crop Wa
moUi,. too CLOSELY; >itoui leave the
~uhblc al least four iDchr- q i-b.
Mr.. Pcor.-WIl field lrlI eat the
longest to mow or to lct the -ia,> >aml:
said he oucc o., ,hc grass 'c"ian ga a
piece iur several years and the result VA
that the amount decreased.
Chairmau.-I thing il does mo- harm t."
nov closely; sheep ieed close, but have
always noticed that whea turned Into a
moving field they always increase the
hay crop.
COMPOSING AND APPLYING MANUki>.
Mr.. :. Poor.-Said he understood COM
posting TO mean any thing done to Increase
the manure pile; some men had one Way
and some another OF doing ,hi>. That
some advocated yardiug their stock dur
lug summer in small yards, gathering up
the droppmgs each day and covering them
with soil or muck; others c1rlCd ahSoI 10
ants into their yaids and others had
cc,s-pool in which AL the liquids were
collected aud then pumped back on the
manure pile. Hepraciiccd ooly one way.
VIZ. 10 cart ab>OrbSujs into mis- yards and
stable cellars; thought the liquids worth
., much a, the solids; tha, lhc value OF
the compost depended somewhat on the
material used; would rather have load
of some value 20 begin With; would pitch
over luriue the summer. and thought by
So doing there MAS less evaporation. He
would use dried muck Ia winter for bed
dino his cattle. His experience was that
muck should bc ''cookcd"-.h 10 was Of
little or no value applied TO the soil IN
fresh state; said ne could see but little
difference Ia the crops between compost
and the solid droppiugs OF his cattle, but
thought tire compost held out longest;
said cow should make 800 lbs. Of com
post iu every twcuty-fonr hours. In using
muck alone rs manure. would have a roof
10 dry il under tor year or two before
using.
Mr.. Newton Thought highly OF brakes
had had good results from using them.
He wanted to know the best way TO apply
whether to pillow under or apply on the
surface:
Mr.. +. Mcrrill.-Thought That II farm
ers would only do j. We'll as they knew
how. that there would be great Improve
mcni. both in their farms and their crops.
He had had but little experience in top
dressing, but had seen ii done; preferred
10 manure his laud when ploWed; believ-
"a i'm growing clover. but of late Years
has had poor success in raising Il. His
method Was To plow and apply about II
cord, OF manure to the acre once in four
or five years-applicd So it is thoroughly
Incorporated with the soil; used to p,ow
under but the result was not ~ good.
Mr.. Carter.-Said he thought there was
no subject of more importance TO the far
mer than that Of making and applying
manure; that the foundation Of all good
| farming was manure, and that the aim
should Dc, better manure aud more OF il;
| believed Ia using ab,orbants and making
manure into compost; tina. all manure
must be dccOmpo>ed before IL became
| plant food; that in common practice there
was large waste OF gasses during Ter
mentatiou. nearly all of which could he
saved by the liberal use Of absorbantS.
l lie thought dried muck the best material
/ 20 use; that the effect on muck mixed with
manure d ring fermentation was the same
\ as when treated with lime and wood ashes ;
\ that one of the best Investments u IA mer
\ could make Was TO buy plaster To use
\ about stables and hog pens, and TO scatter
/ over his manure piles; that it was one OF
| the best abSorbants and retaiuers OF gas
! ses. especially ammonia, Which was the
most costly manure We had TO purchase;
that the great value of brakes was the
| large amount of potash they contained
substance in which nearly all our soils
were deficient; believed in applying ma
uure at or near the surface; that all the
/ valuable portion except the gasSes work
\ cd down. lie said that when farmers de-
/ pended on the store-keepers to purchase
/ grass seed for them that they almost al
WAYS got a poor article; that the farmers
/ club To which he belonged were following
/ the practice of buying in large quantities
of wholesale Seeis-men. saving about 20
per cent. on cost. and getting a much bet
ter article.