Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-03-30
COmpOstina Manure.
Massachusetts Ploughman.l


One of the important questions whic
every farmer has to decide is the be-
method of composing manure. Farmer
10 not agree on this subject while SON
hold that it is best to apply manure in i
green state and to compost it with ii
soil, others believe it is best to compo
it in the yard by mixing with it nn cqu
quantity of muck or loan. Advocates ,
the last method claim that the manure
thus decomposed and brought into plal
food that is Immediately available. I'll
advocates of composing directly wit
the soil claim that it saves large amour
Of labor of hauling in material to compo
with, the pitching OF it all over, and I'll
carting out and spreading twice the qual
tity; and they also claim that during I'll
process OF decomposition in compo
heap, under ordinary conditions, n po
tion of the fertilizing elements is lost
while if applied directly to the soil, IL
process OF decomposition improves IL
of the soil, and prepares it f,
plant growth much better than If apple
after decomposition has taken place.
While it is probably best for most croI
to apply the manure in the green sta
there are some crops that need forcir
with manure already well decompose
For example, Strawberries that have bee
set one year sometimes require fertiliz
that will act at once. Grass land, if m
nured between the first and second Gro
should have well decomposed manure.
The farmer, in composing his manur
should never forget that all of the muc
loan or sand which he mixes with h
manure above that which is necessary
absorb the liquids and gases is waste
labor, and only makes his manure heap
deception which his crops will surely fiji
out. While it is important that eve
farmer should always have ut hand suf
cient insolvents to prevent the loss of II
liquids but few farmers work to the be
advantage when they haul into the bal
yard us many loads Of muck, loan or sal
ns they have of manure The large ado
tlonal cost of removing twice or thr
times such large quantities of materia
but little better, if ms good, as the Sc
upon which it is spread, never comes ba'
i'll the increase of crops.
ABOUT Hop GrOSSihK.
Wisconsin is the only one of the la
States where hop growing is carried ON
any great extent, Yet the high price
hops ought to encourage their cultivate
wherever it is possible to do it. As IL
present high prices are due to the failu
of the Europeon hop crop last year, Il
arrangement may be only temporary, al
there is no reason why our staple GRO
should be abandoned in order to ventu
in hop growing.
There are, however, those who desire
know how how hops are cultivated, al
the plan in England is to select go
rich soil and plow it deep, at the sal
time manuring well and heavily. Go,
drainage is also necessary, and every pi
able conditions for maturing the Gro
Cuttings, or shoots of any approved SO
which have been reared in II nursery, Il
planted in rows six feet apart, and t
hills should also be that distance apart
the rows. From two to three plants q
also allowed in each hill, and they a
separately staminate and pistillate, o
male plant being planted for every fii
of the Others. No crop is expected t
first year, but hoed crop of some 81
may be grown during the time betwe
the hills Of hops, the cultivation AMI IL
nuring of which being considered ber
fetal. Each hill has n short pole, viii
is fixed before Summer, to which t
young vine is fastened and trained. Eal
in Spring the ground is again cultivat,
both the cultivator and the hoe bel
used, and the hills are finally earthed
m June. In this country the distance
tween the rows varies from six to eil
feet, and some growers use two poles,
ing from twelve to eighteen feet in heig
Seven feet apart each way is also fay
ite distance, which gives 900 hills to I
acre, and allows fewer vines to the hi
Plenty OF sunlight and a free circulate
of air is beneficial to the vines, AMI II
nure may be added at any stage of
growth, owing to the plant being gr'
feeder.
AS to the quality of hops produced
exact estimate can be made, as everythi
depends on the attention given by
grower in cultivating. The use of mani
and the quality of the soil are also imp
tant, but first in the management is
judicious use of the plow, cultivator 4
hoe, to say nothing of setting, tying q
training the vines. From four to
pounds have been gathered to each h
on good locations, and it is not expecti
too much to claim one ton of hops
every acre cultivated, though much
is often obtained, The crop, which is
ways hand picked, affords employment
large number of hands during the pi