Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-08-12
Saving and Applying Manure.

One would naturally suppose that,
as important as manure is to the
farmer, he would not only save
and apply all that could be pro-
duced on the farm from every source,
but that by careful experiment he would
ascertain Just how and on what crops he
could use il TO tho best. advantages. That
farmers do not do this needs no argu-
ment, for there is abundant evidence on
nearly every farm that there is no uni
formity of practice and little apprecia-
tion of the value of manure. This is
less true in the Eastern States | pre-.
sumo, but am writing as an Ohio farm
er, and want to tell some things which
have learned. r,HIo iEr ,1sF. .r.il'
In looking at the effect of manures
we find that they not only furnish plant
food, such rs nitrogen, phosphoric acid,
potash, etc, but that they also affect
the soil mechanically. 1 think also
that there is an intimate connection be.
tween the important subject of atmos
pheric fertilization and manuring that
should be borne in mind, not only be-
cause the atmosphere acts more readily
on fine, porous soil, but because OF
the law of affinity. am writing from
the stand point of a practical farmer,
and not from the scientific one; but my
experience teaches me that finely pull
verified manure at or near the surface
of the soil will attract from the atmos-
phere the same properties 1t coutains,
and largely increase its value. Whether
scientific or not, | have found in prac-
tice that get double the good from my
manure when used as u top-dressing us
when plowed under--at least when APP
piled TO the wheat crop.
Another reason why 1 use it in this
way is because of its quicker action. IL
manure is plowed under six or eight
inches deep, the roots will find it with
out doubt, but as the growing season
for wheat in the fall is short, and it is
important that it should get we'll root
ed, and make enough growth of blade
to protect it, Mis- certainly wise to APP
ply the manure where its effect will be
immediate. Still another reason why
we should do this is because it gives a
seed bed for grass or clover, which in
sures stand and promotes q heavy
growth, and thus our manure is made
to do double duty-grow crop of
wheat and crop of clover, which will
tertilize the land for the next crop.
For the same reason that use ma
nure at the surface, l make it as fine as
possible. | feel certain that single
experiment will convince any farmer of
the profit of this. Let him manure an
| eighth of an acre with coarse Jumps, or
strawy manure, and then use on an adj
| joining plat of the same size. e.half
the amount thoroughly pulverized, and
my word for it. he will find much the
heaviest wheat where the pulverized
manure is used.
One of the first things the farmer
needs to do is to to get rid of the idea
that manure is valuable according to its
bulk. A two, horse load of manure, So
called, without doubt often contains
less real plant food than peck of bone
meal or half bushel of hen manure.
Speaking of hen manure, think few
farmers value it high enough. In my
experiments it has produced so great re-
suits that | can only account for it on
the idea that the ammonia in it has an
affinity for and attracts the nitrogen
from the atmosphere. If anyone doubts
that it is rich in ammonia, let him sprin-
kle barrel of it, with enough
water to cause fermentation, and
then stir it; the fumes will be over.
powering. A single experiment of mine
indicated that barrel of hen manure is
worth as much as ten loads of stable
manure. My experiment was this: In
the fall of 1879 l sowed three acres ol
wheat, the first week in October, ON the
poorest land on my farm. We had just
cut off the corn, WHICH was n very light
crop, but the land was in excellent or.
der, as we had plowed the corn very
late, and had taken out all weeds and
grass with hoes, and when we cut uI
the corn all that was needed vast to har
row thoroughly and roll to give Just tht
right kind of aseed bed. divided the
plat into three strips of an acre each
and manured No. / with one barrel o
hen manure. which. had sifted so thai
l drilled it in with the wheat; No. 2
dressed literally with stable manure
and on No. 3 drilled in 200 pounds o.
pure ground bone. left strips about
eight feet wide, without fertilizer of any
kind between the different plats. We
harvested over thirty bushels of wheat
to the acre, and Judging from the un
fertilized strip the crop was doubled by
the manure. There was hardly per
ceptible difference between the three
plars, but one could see in riding pas
the field the difference between the un
manured strips and the rest. My OBJ
servation leads me to believe that no
one farmer in ten makes any use what
ever of his hen manure, and yet be
lieve that it will pay for the keeping o
the fowls and is worth as much pei
pound as bone meal.
The wheat land referred to above wa.
seeded to timothy with the wheat, anC
the following spring we sowed three
pounds of mammoth clover seed to the
acre, and we have this week harvested
nine tons of hay from it, which is the
best crop have grown for many years
Cor. Country Gentleman.