Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-02-04
Winter Manuring;

As we have stated on former occa-
SONS, the practice of spreading ma
nure in winter, as it is manufactured at
the barn, is becoming yearly more
common, possessing as it does the I'M
portant advantages Of saving handling
but once, preventing the poaching OF
the soil, being well diffused through the
soil by spring, equalizing labor and
keeping the barn-yard clear Of large
heaps of accumulated manure. But
we find that many still hesitate, for fear
it will be washed away on the frozen
ground. They omit the vital question.
How will floods Of water occur while
the ground remains wholly frozen The
same thawing weatheTthat brings floods
from rain or melting snow softens the
surface Of the earth enough to absorb
and hold the soluble portions OF the
manure, except in the very small
spaces in fields which constitute the
bottoms Of hollOws or beds OF streams,
aud here the manure need not be
placed. On all the rest Of the surface
melting SHOWS furnish a small and
slowly moving supply of water, wholly
insufficient TO carry off the manure IN
mass, and conveying very slowly over
the surface the soluble parts OF the
manure as they are gradually leached
out from the solid spreadings. The
same result occurs during rain7. Let
US examine for a moment the small
amount Of manure on q given surface
after spreading c9pious supply, and
see how easily the sOil3 can retain all
that is valuable. If thirty two-horse-
loads are made to cover an acre, the
stratum will be only the fourth Of an
inch thick, and the soluble part would
constitute a mere film. Before there
could be water enough in time of a
thaw to carry this portion of, the sur
face of the field would be thawed to a
depth quite equal to absorbing and
holding all. We have experimental
fully on this point by placing heaps OF
manure in winter several inches thick on
steep hillsides Of grass. The melting
snow and the copious rains OF early
spring had full chance to wash this
manure, or at least its onriching por-
tons, down the steep hill; but in no iu-
stance could the increased luxurance
in the growth Of the grass be traced five
feet below the manure heaps. 1t had
been all absorbed by the soil at once as
fast as washed from the manure. These
experiments were made on strong or
rather clayey land, which is generally
understood to possess more absorbing
power than lighter soils, but those who
have tried this course on lighter land
make an equally favorable report. We
observe by q recent communication
from our old correspondent, A. B.
Allen, of New Jersey, to the New Y ork
Tribune, that he has found no bad re-
salt from winter manuring on the near
" clear sand Of his farm. HIS says: i
have bod heaps of manure repeatedly
composted on soil Of coarse white
sand, lying there for six months, and
after removing it dug into the sand
and found it only slightly discolored to
a depth of two or three inches. On
good garden mould there would be
only the slightest discoloring; Of the
surface, and l think no wastage Of the
salts of the manure; but even if there
was a little Of this during the winter,
the loss would hardly be equivalent to
the benefit
Farmers who hesitate to adopt this
mode from the fear of losing a part Of
the manure, may easily try the expert
meut in various forms now that winter
is at hand, and satisfy themselves by
actual practical test whether they are
not losing more by drawing out manure
on the soft ground Of spring and during
its busy season, than by any possible
washing away by rains Country
Gentleman.