Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-01-04
Fall and Winter Surface Manur-
ing.
cor.of Farm aud Garden

Cor. ol Fism aud Gardru
Profit in farming depends, in Il
great degree, upon the most ccunom.
zeal method Of saving aud u.inp
barnyard manurc-. Not until nj! the
narn.yard manure is carefully saved
md judicIously used, is the grain
'nd grass growing farmer justified IL
purchasing commercial fertilizer.
even rs aids, unless by experiment
he first ascertaius whether some
special plant food, such as phosphoric
acid, or other needed substance. has
been removed from the soil by iui..
dicious cropping.
In using baru.yard manure ao a
top.drcssiug for the growing wheat
crop, it should not be forgotten that
they are equally a. beneficial in pro.
lectlng II and Insurlng good catch
and vigorous growth Of clover in the
Spring. The best results viii follow
The application Of the manure early
enough in the season 10 cause the
wheat plants to make 4 vigorous tall
growth although il applied before
the Autumn rains have fallen, or as
soon thereafter as practicable, the re.
suit will, as rule, be exceedingly
satisfactory.
A method of manuring adapted to
some soils and localities may not be
the best in others. Nevertheless
whenever the soil is well fitted with
grass or grain roots, the direct ad.
vantage OF fall top-drcssiug for the
drst, and winter top-drcssing for the
latter. as a source Of profit. Is IN
questionable. Partly rotted manurcs.
II applied broadcast in early winter.
will he dissolved by the rain and ab.
soTbed by the clover and other grass
roots, and be readily as,imilatcd as
plant food. Even on steep hil.sidcs.
the loss of manure by washing is or.
dinarily comparatively slight. 81.
rious objections can be- brought
against the plan 81 scattering harm.
yard manure upon the frozen ground
preceding an excessive fall or rain.
In such cases loss is sure to result.
II the surface, is however. compar.
atlvely level, and the manure has pre-.
viously been applied broadcast ON
the unfrozcn ground, the soil will
usually become thawcd to sunlcicn,
depth to absorb the liquid manure.
If manure is hauled out and pui
upon the LAID preparatory to being
plowed early in the Spring, and
the ground IS frozen at the time the
manure Is put upon the ground.
Care should then be taken, not only
that The manure be spread evenly.
but that none be allowed to remain
where the heaps stood. An advan
tage OF applying barn yard manure
in this way is that the soluble matter
will be carried down by the rains
into the soil, where the rootl,ts will
feed upon them at the very hcpinuino
of their growth in the Spring.
Under favorable circumstances il
may be set down as a rule that ma.
nure. when nearly or wholly rotted
is much more cfllcacious in increas.
ing the yield Of the first crop grown
on sod lands, ir applied broadcast in
the fall, than when drawn from the
yard and plowcd under in the Sprinc
The beneficial effects Of surforo
manuring where hut little snow falls
and where the soil freezes to but III.
tie depth, has been undercstimated.
Sod upon which manure has been
spread and laid during the winter not
only breaks up more easily, but is in
better condition TO grow a large crop
II the season be a dry one, than when
the manure is plowed in. Ifa period
of drouth occurs-and they are al.
most of annual occurrence then the
woody fibre of the unrottcd manure
is a positive disadvantage. and the
disastrous effect of tue drouth is in.
creased,