The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-05-07
Application OF Manure.


The manner of applying manure in the
field is question that deserves special con-
sideration. 1t goes without saying that top
dressing fall grain or grass land is part Of
the question that settles itself, because it adj
nits of but one manner of doing it. But the
application Of manure to stubble land, or for
such crops as corn, potatoes, or roots, may
be made in so many ways that 1t is reason
able to believe there viii always be differen-
ces in regard to it with 'smany men of many
minds " Some advocate spreading the ma
nure upon the surface and blowing it under;
some would rather plow first and spread the
manure by narrowing it, even when it is
fresh and coarse, and is gathered into heaps
under the harrow to be spread and spread a.
gain and again; others think it better to ap-
ply the manure in the hill or the drill and
plant the seed directly upon or under 1t.
The first of these methods is easy, effective,
and, on the whole, an excellent one, but the
second has some palpable disadvantages
which condemn it. 1t is troublesome and
the reverse Of neat farming. Moreover, it is
not putting the manure where it will do the
most good, which Is clearly as near the roots
as possible. 1t is true that the soluble por-
tons of the manure will be carried into the
soil by the rains. But in such dry seasons
as have occurred for the past few years crops
have suffered and starved for want OF the
on the surface. Again, the roots of plants
themselves are able to get considerable food
from undecomposed organic matter by their
own ability to reduce it to decomposition
and this may be seen in the case of a corn
plant which has grown in a hill that has been
manfred by shoVelful of half-rotted or ev-
en- fresh manure. The roots have penetrat-
ed and embraced the manure completely,
and have formed dense mat In and about
ha4 Iof. 4lae ctr so a
mains Of the manure have come up with the
roots. So that it appears to bea waste of
manure to spread it upon the surface, unless
it is so fine that the harrow will mingle It
thoroughly with the soil to the full depth to
which the teeth penetrate. With coarse ma
nure it seems clear that it is better TO spread
1t before blowing and cover it so that it is
evenly mixed between the furrow slices, and
can be afterward intimately mingled with
the soil. And, indeed, 1t might seem best to
follow this method even with fine manure,
for 1t is very certain that the plant comes up
all the stronger and more vigorously when
is first roots are provided with an aDun-
dance of food as soon as they are ready for
it, which is as soon as they begin to pene-
trate the soil in search Of it. Indeed, for the
clear understanding of the necessities Of this
part of farm practice, farmers must study
and become acquainted Witnthe facts relat-
ing to plant growth.
AS regards the too prevalent practice of
spreading the manure in small heaps on the
field and leaving them for months before IT
is scattered over the surface, too much can
not be said against 1t. It is a waste both Of
material and labor Heaps so left lose a
large portion of their soluble contents by
the washing of rains or the melting of snow,
and this goes into the soil under the manure,
which is in fact manured in consequence Of
this at rate equivalent to many hundreds
OF tons per acre, while the rest Of the ground
must necessarily be robbed Of its share
Many years ago, the writer, then young
farmer following the methods to which he
had been used, thus spread the manure on a
field for wheat, and left it for less than two
months before 1t was spread. The next
year the wheat grew enormously on the spots
where the heaps had lain, and rusted badly
and the straw fell down while the rest Of the
field showed the plainest evidence that it
needed what had been wasted elsewhere The
lesson has remained, and it is recalled with
much force when field Is seen dotted over
with manure heaps too soon after the oats
have been cut or when the snow lies upon
the ground, or whenever this subject is dis
cussed.-New York Times,