The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-03-30
AGRICULTURAL.

| Sod the Cheapest Manure.-ln no way
can manure be furnished 80 cheaply as in
sod; it simply costs nothing. With
green manuring there is the cost OF the
seed and the expense of putting it in.
If the entire season is given to it, there
| is the further loss of crop, though
this is usually overrated, as land that
needs green manuring is not in condi-
ton to produce very profitable crop;
generally there is loss. Sod not only
enriches the land, but it improves it
mechanically, It's decay furnishing ex-
cellent material for further Improvement
making new of it superior co its original
condition if of inferior quality AS to
adaptability of manure to the soil, sod
comes as near a perfection as any man.
ure that can be applied. Its presence in
the soil which grew it is evidence of this.
No testing is needed as with commercial
manures, where at the best there is little
profit, though there may be considerable
growth, while sod is all gain, both in its
mechanical and fertilizing effects, the
commercial article being of little benefit
mechanically.
EXPERIENCE WITH MUcK.-As the atten-
ton of farmers is drawn to the necessity
of enriching their farms, will give the
result of several years experience with
muck. My practice has been as follows:
In the fall when the muck beds are dry,
l throw out into piles as much as 1 think
l need for the coming year. At some
convenient time draw a quantity near
the house, where I can throw on 1t the
soapsuds from washing, night soil scrap
ings from the hen house, and leached or
unleached ashes. / generally commence
this compost heap in the fall, but if any
one would commence in the spring he
would make a much larger amount. In
the spring shovel over the pile once or
twice; then it is ready for use. This ma
nure 1 use in the hill for all hoed crops,
as phosphate is used. / consider it far
ahead of barnyard manure in the hill
and equal to phosphate, for the nature
of manure is to dry up, while the nature
of muck is to attract moisture. 1t is
about one days work for a man to put
this into one acre OF corn or potatoes.
putting good handful in each hill.
have found this manure contains an
alkali, or something SO that birds or
crows will not pull corn, and wire
worms will not eat the roots of corn.
White grubs will not gnaw potatoes that
are planted in it. It makes corn crop
ripen about one week or ten Gays earlier
than without it. 1 have known farmers
to pay fifty cents q load for muck to
make compost from to be used on to.
bacco, and they thought it paid them
we'll. l have noticed that the first crop
does not use up all the strength of one
application. It can be seen in the next
crop. It does not hurt seed corn or
potatoes to be dropped into this COM
post, for they will grow better than in
common earth. The compost heap has
some advantage over phosphate. 1t does
not cost any money if one has muck
bed, and it will keep insects away from
the roots of crops. l have drawn and
mixed barnyard manure and muck in
piles during the winter, in the proper
ton of two of manure to one OF muck,
and consider it better than raw manure
from the yard for any CROP d. w. K,
Canastota, N. Y, Country Gentlemen.
High vs.. Low Farming.-So long as
the New England States raise larger
average crops per acre than are raised in
the rich farming lands of the West, it
will hardly do perhaps. to call New
England farming low farming, yet when
we compare what is done with what
might be, there will be found very
wide margin for improvement both at
the East and at the far West. In the
description of the agriculture of the is
land Of Jersey it will be seen that in that
small island but little over two acres is
required for maintaining Q COW, while
here in Massachusetts, twenty-five acres
are required for keeping single animal
of the COW kind, including oxen, steers,
and calves, and there il but one horse
kept in the State for each ninety acres Of
land. And with all our great cities and
large manufacturing towns, Massachu-
sstts. the most densely populated State
in the Union, supports but one inhabi-
tant for each three acres of land, while in
the little agricultural Island Of Jersey
with its $4,000 head Of cattle. there CO.,
600 inhabitants, or about two and O half
to each acre OF land, including rocks,
roads, barren land and building lots. It
will he noticed, too, that the farmers Of
Jersey are exporting about one-sixth of
their stock annually, or some 1000 cat
tie per year. It would be well to know
to what particular cause or causes this
highly successful system Of agriculture
il due, whether to the strictest economy
on the part Of the people, or to certain
particular advantages they may possess
which the people Of other lands - .
rule do not. It would be interesting to
know what methods are followed for
keeping up the fertility of the soil,
how DhOeDhoriO aoid carriod ont of thu