Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-09-17
TOp-dreasinR Meadows.


Alexander Hyde writes to the New York
Times ,. 1 "
Top-dressing, then, is natures mode OF fer
tilizing the earth, aud the farmer who would
improve the productiveuess OF his soil must
learn 10 initiate the skill Of him who grows
the SeqRoia gioantea of California with the
same case with which he makes the lily Of
the valley to bud aud blossom. The material
for top-dressing abounds on every farm. The
muck of the swamps, the 6ne aluvial soil
FROM the side of the river, the leaf mould of
the forest, and the sods from the roadside,
all OF which can be had on many farms with
out money and without price, will form the
base of compost that will make the mead
oys green aud luxurant early aud late. The
above materials are good for top-dressing
grnss lands in and Of themselves but of
course they are improved If first dumped in
the hog.pen and medicated with the excre-
ments of swine and composted by their noses.
No animal works at cheaper rate at COM
posting than the hog. aud no shovel does tho
work more effectualiy than the hogs nose.
If atany time he becomes lazy, fow kerr
nels Of cora scattered over the muck or
mold will stimulate his energies The hog.
pen is also the place into which TO throw AL
the weeds Of the farm, upon which the swine
feed with greediness, and thrive greatly.
Whatever is left by their eapacious maWs
readily deCoInpose with the excremeDts with
which they are Mingled, aud the whole forms
top-dressing OF the first water
Generally, however, il is also necessary to
build regular compost heap in some out of
the way place--not under The kitchen win.
dows as we have sometimes seen. In this case
place a layer Of muck, or whatever forms
the base Of the compost, foot thick on the
soil, and on this layer Of uniermsuted
manure--that from the barn stable we pre-
fer, as it heats so quickly--and on this an-
other layer of muck, or, better still, layer
oil sods or alluvial soil, and SO on till the
heap is raised some four or FIVE feet high,
the top layer, Of course, being Of muck or
soil. II made too high, the air will not pen
citrate it easily, and the decomposition will
not be so rapid or thorough. The mass will
in few days be found heated, and the lcaven
Of the manure will pervade the whole lump.
If time permits, the heap should be sbogeled
over after it has lain month or 50, and this
can be done during the rainy days Of haying
and harvesting. Tho shoveipg serves 10 fine
and compost the materials, and also gives
new impetus to the fermentation by letting
in the air, aud more thorough mixing of
the muck and manure. If at the same time
the heap is shoveled over, barrel Of plaster
is kept near by, and q few handfuls spread
over the surface, the ammonia is more effect
ually retained aud great addition made in
the intrinsic value of the heap.
1t is astonishing what an amount of top
dressing may be made on farm If once the
attention Of the farmer is uisted in this di.
rectiou. The contents Of the water-closet
and the oesspoOl, the slops OF the chamber
and kitchen, can in no way be so we'll utl-
lied as in the compost heap. Then a little
Of these enriching materials may serve to
put large mass Of muck or sods on the
road 10 decomposition without waste Of any
OF thoir gases precious for fertiixng pur-
poses, but noxious to all sensitive nostrils.
After much experience with compost, we
find the best time to spread il is in the fall,
after the second crop OF grass has been cut
and before the autumn rains come. II the
compost is well made there is little loss by
evaporation of the gases and the rains will
carry the precious fluids down to the roots
OF the grass, giving them fne start in the
fall, aud great vigor for the next years
growth. The compost will also serve to ab-
sorb the gases which are constantly floating
in the air and descending in the dews, rains
and SHOWS. When we hear farmers COM
planning for want Of manure, we always fear
that the trouble is not in their resources for
fertility, but knowledge of the best mode
of utilizing those they have. We are more
and more persuaded not only that compost
ing will increase the fertilziug power of the
manure, but also that top-dressing meadows
and keeping such as are natural to grass
constantly producing this crop, will add
greatly to the income of most northern farm.
ers. Flowing and hoeing are expensive op-
erations. Grass growing furnishes the best
kind Of food for stock at the cheapest rate
Besides, on the permanent meadows, the
grass becomes Of q better quality each year,
certainly if they are top.dressed each or ev-
cry other year. New varieties Of grass will
come in spontaneously, and weeds will be
exterminated. There is no farm carried on
with more economy aud profit than one which
is kept mostly in grass by means of top.
) dressing.