The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-07-04
How Rich Land should he.

This is q common question, and 1t
means much more Than IL usually sup
posed. The AN ,wer is clear Land shou d
be lust rich enough TO grow the best
crops. What is oyer this IL Il loss IN the
interest and in the manurial properties
that escape, AS nitrogen, the best OF
them, will. There may therefore be too
much fertility. But some crops require
more than Others, like corn, the grasses,
and forage crops in general. Nots 30 with
the grains, which may be too stout, 30
al to lodge or grow, AZ they are apt 10,
more straw in proportion than berry.
Yet the grains wheat in particularly will
bear considerable northumberland
more than they get. After learning, by
test, what kind OF manure the land
wants, and the manure of the farm usually
answers the purpcs'-the application be
comes only a matter OF quantity, and
the gauge may be maintained by n proper
rotation, using, il enough can be made
which can with proper management,
only farmyard manure, and what the
farm furnishes ia sod, green crops, etc.
1t thus becomes an easy matter TO push
the crops as desired. The question arises,
to what extent they shall be pushed, and
not leave to large a surplus in the land.
As ] said before, just enough to grow
the best crops, as land may be too rich
or too poor to realize profits. This always
leaves a portion in the soil, enough to
give the necessary balance and texture.
This is not a very large amount. For
instance. n poor soil that barely pays
given a good coat OF manure,
properly applied, so that the top ground
where the roots are gets the benefit Of it,
will pay all expenses, including the
manure, with something over besides,
depending on how cheap the manure was
obtained, while the land has still some
lett of the application, which is the
commencement of the improvement,
making, with the sim amount OF mans
ure in the second crop, u better yield,
with still further Improvement in the
land. Here is profit from the crop, and
increased value Of the land. At this
rate it does not take many years to bring
up the land to a high state OF fertility.
But il this advisable? Evidently not, as
it leaves tGo much unused enrichment in
the soil. The course is 10 manure
enough to grow the most profitable
crops, and no more. This is economy,
1t still ke ps the soil in a good mechani-
cal condition, with small waste OF the
nitrates, the crop taking up what is
needed, leaving to the soil IFS share,
kept up, not exceeded, by what excess
in application is demanded to supply the
waste. In this way less manure and
more benefit will result.
1t is a fine way of farming, bringing
up the land with comparatively little
outlay, and at the same time realizing
large yields with increased profit through
the economical use of the manure. The
poorest land thus becomes an object OF
interest. 1t is the true means OF reno
waiting our New England farms, with
their admirable markets for all kinds ot
produce, and adapted to mixed husband.
ry. With the advantage derived rom
keeping manure at the urface, so as to
yet its full benefit before it disappears
in the Gcpth OF the roll, aud get it at
once, realizing thus an additional saving,
with a corresponding reduction in the
expense OF manure (amount) Of manure
and the labor in handling ii; a new era in
farming has dawned which is slowly but
surely revolutionizing the old wasteful
method of burying beyond resurrection.
Itnow only needs care in saving and
properly applying. But much indeed
all-is depending upon the manner III
which this is done. To put the manure
in heaps, and leave it there for a time, is
a twOfold lOss-a loss Of labor and the
strength OF the manure-and it left for a
long time, the loss of n will be
great, and its strength will be u%nevenly
distributed, some places, where the
heaps were getting too much, the rest
not enough. Let it be remembered that
it is manure. the coarse material of the
farm, on which the profit of the farm de
ponds, and that it accordingly requires
careful management. so az to avoid
waste, not only in the stable and around
the barn (using absorbents and protec.
tion), but on the field, in the application
and the amount n.-Country Gentle
man.