Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-07-02

Successful farming depends soslarge,

Successful farming depends so:largely
on..maklng the soil rich that the best
Z modes OF doing this are necessarily mat
: tiers oisthe first importance. The most
natural mode is to apply manure on the
surface and let rains and SHOWS carry
its substance TO the roots of plants. i
am not sure that we haye bettered
this plan. But. long ago it was discov-
cred that decaying manures lost some
of then ammonia by evaporation, and it
was.naturally supposed that unless this
decomposition occurred in the soil, this
ammonia was wasted. Hence the gen.
eral practice, until within a few years,
of getting manure under ground as
quickly ,atSeapssible. But we have
learned 70 % facts about manure.
Wha scattered over the surface in fall
or winter, evaporation is very slight and
very little ammonia is gwen Off. Most
manures are largely composed, so far
as value is rcOncered, of mineral ele-
ments, lime, potash and phosphates,
which cannot evaporate and must leach
downward. Much even Of The ammo
MIA has been changed to nitric acid and,
united with some base, has become a
soluble nitrate. The manure applied
on.the surface Of the soil in the fall is,
before spring, brought directly to the
roots of plants. Much OF it indeed has
been carried down SO deeply that we
need the long tap-roots of cloyerato
bring it again TO the surface. Under
all the circumstances, putting manures
on the surface, except on very steep
side-hills, involves less loss than using
them in any other way, GAIA.
Much ofthe barnyard manure in spring
is so course that for convenience in
planting and cultivating hoed crops we
pillow it under. The roots of corn will
reach it readily and with little less
The following spring after partial dc.
composition, the ground is plowed and
the manure again brought TO the surface.
But 1t is often found that the benefit of
the manure is quite as great the second
season as the first. Probably instead
Of leaving the coarse manure until
spring, it would pay better TO haul it
out and spread it on the soil as made,
during the winter. The soluble parts
will be thoroughly incorporated with
the soil, and the remainder may be
turned under the furow as before, to
decay and become soluble.
An important advantage ;s.'gainea in
having some manure in close contact
with the seedto give the plant vigor,
Gus growth from the start. Manuring
IN the hill by hand is a tedious and ex-
pensiye work; but even this will often
pay. Hen manure thoroughly pulver-
lied and diluted with three times its
weight of gypsum, is excellent for eth.
er corn or potatoes. The object in mix
ing with gypsum is two-fold: first, to
weaken it so that the manure will not
burn the sprouts of the seed, and, sec.
ond, that the gypsum, or sulphate of
lime, may absorb the ammonia of the
hen droppings and become sulphate of
ammonia, one of the most powerful
stimulants of plant growth. Sulphate
Of ammonia is worth six cents a pound
as plant food. Much of the effects of
gypsum as fertilizer are probably due
to the fact that it always absorbs more
or less ammonia from decaying matter
IN the soil and possibly, under some cir.
cumstances, from the atmosphere. l !
always advise the use OF gypsum with
nearly every kind of seed, for this rea-
son.
The good effects OF manure in contact |
with the seed often 6r exceed the pre-
sumable advantages from the manure |
itself. In other words, little rich food |
at the beginning Of the growth of |
plant promotes It's vigor and enables it |
to forage more vigorously in other parts
Of the soil. Concentrated manure also |
makes soluble some Of the fertility |
lOcked-up in the soil which it touches. |
A spoonful Of guano will make fertile !
from three to five times that amount Of
soil. OfcOurse, to this extent manur-
iag in the hill helps the plant to more |
rapidly exhaust the soil; but this is not
really disadvantage. All cropping is
exhaustive and it is only Objectionable
When the product will not supply or pur.
chase enough manure to keep the soil
up to its original standard ofrichness.
The most frequent use of manures
with the seed is in the application of
Commercial fertilizers by the drill. This
Is now the common practice with our
best farmers, and its advantages are 50
numerous that 1t must become much
more general. The benefits of natures,
however applied, depend largely upon
he after cultivation and thorough pull
verizatioh Of the soil. | have rarely
seen lumpy, cloddy land, however rich.
produce good crop; but | have much
more frequently seen good crops on
comparatively poor land well cultivat.
ed. We know that the elements Of
fertility must be present to make crop;
but on heavy land great deal OF crop
ping can be done if the soil is kept in
good mechanical condition. The first
sign ofsteriIity in a clay soil, is when
the vegetable matter wastes and the
surface hardens and bakes. -Rmd New.
IVker.
GUMBo SoUP.-Cut fowl in pieces, II
ell 4 I