American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-12-11
Application Of Manures.

How best to apply manure to land is a
question of considerable importance to the
agriculturist The old and generally -ac-
cepted method is to apply all coarse ma
nures, such as those from the stable and
barnyard, to the surface and pillow them
under. By doing this at once evapora-
ton of the volatile gases is prevented, as
all such manures we believe this to be the
best course to pursue, although some dis
elimination should be exercised in per-
forming the operation, in order to meet
the wants of the plants. For the small
grains it is unadvisable to cover the ma
nure SO deep that the roots cannot readily
reach it while the plants are young; but
for the coarser growing kinds, like corn,
or for trees, there is little danger to be ap-
pretended on this score. ;
OF late years the advocates of the top
dressing system of applying all kinds Of
manure have been running to extremes in
their theories, frequently insisting that
there can be no waste in surface applica-
tions under any circumstances, while COM
mon sense ought to show that losses must
frequently occur by an indiscriminate APP
plication of fertilizers to the soil, in such
manner that they must take their chances
of being washed away or of losing their
valuable properties by evaporation. Our
the effect of the washing down of vegeta-
BILE matter from the hills, even when the
soil is protected or held in place by
natural distractions in the form of trees,
shrubs and other wild plants. The same
washing occurs when land is cultivated,
and frequently to still greater degree;
hence the argument in favor of covering
or blowing under manure soon after it is
applied to all soils that are not so near
I,xv
the surface in any direction.
Top-dressing meadows and winter grain
with coarse manure in the fall is practiced
very extensively and usually with great
advantage. But it is questionable if the
results are wholly due to the fcrtiliZing
properties of these surface applications,
for it is well known that a mulch or win
ter protection of pine leaves, sawdust and
similar substances, which contain little, il
any plant food, frequently produces
great improvement in the crop. Of
course, if barnyard manure is to be had in
abundance, we should prefer it as a mulch
for meadow to leaves or sawdust, be-
cause whatever portion of its juices de-
scended to the roots would certainly act
as stimulant to the plants. But where
this material is scarce and valuable the
economy of applying it as top-dressing
is, to say the least, doubtful. OF course we
are well aware that there are meadows,
the fertility of which has been kept up to
a very high standard by surface applica-
tiOns of barnyard manure alone; but these
instances of success are by no means suffi-
cient to establish the fact that this system
is the best in all cases and upon every va
riety of soil. We have tried surface appli-
cations of the best stable manure to mead
Ows, without producing results equal to
One-half the value of the manure, and
have consequently abandoned the system
for the one which gave better returns for
the outlay; that is, breaking up and mix
ing with the soil whenever such fertilizers
were required. Lime, ashes, SCOT, guano
and similar fertilizers may always be ap-
piled to the surface, as the small quantity
used and the minute divisions of the par
ticles permit rapid sinking into the
earth; hence no washing away need be
feared, even upon uneven or hilly land.
Top dressing of meadows and winter
grain in the fall as an extra protection to
the roots will seldom fail to be productive
of good results; but it is seldom that
man can afford to use stable manure for
this purpose. Leaves, leaf.mold, peat
from swamps, straw, or coarse bog hay,
may be used instead, and more valuable
materials kept for enriching the land when
there will be no risk of waste. We are
aware that some of our farmers will not
agree with us in this opinion, but we can
not help expressing it as the result of long
and varied experience.-N. Y. Sun.