The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1885-04-15
Tvs.
CLODHOPPER
still Cllngs TO HIS Views Concerning
the Best Time TO Spread MANURE.

Brother "Brutus" has given me a broad.
side on the time Of hauling manure, and
from the reading Of his article, any one not
acquainted with my sentiments and teach
ingE on the subject, would think me iudiG
rent to the saving and care of the manur,
heap,
My teachings have always been that III.
farmers land was his Bank and the sur
plus or available fertility Of the soil III,
sum that he can check on annually, and
that the available fertility could only b,
kept up, or maintained, by returning t.
the soil as much each year as the crop,
grown had removed.
Then, Of course, it becomes a matter OF
paramount importance to know how t.
save and iudioiously apply each year tn,
greatest possible amount Of fertilizers t.,
the soil.
Ny observation, aud an experience Of
forty odd years in practical farming show,
me that the latter part Of summer aud early
fall is the best time for hauling and spread.
ing the bulk Of the manure made aud saved
each year. will not deny, for one instant
the grand results attained by my friend
when he hauled aud spread his manure in
the spring. Neither do I dispute the grand
results Of Samson when "he slew the Phil
estiues hip and thigh with the jaw bone Of
an ass" Tho slaughter was something
wonderful, and 50 Of my friend. But Just
to think what Samson could havo done had
be been possessed of better weapon; Just
so with my friend "Brutus." Consequent
ly after looking carefully over the whole
subject, I am constrained to advise the
average farmer to haul and spread the bulk
of his fertilizers, in the autumn. On his
clover sod or any other sod intended for
corn, the next spring. As all Of Our corn
ground goes to wheat each time, it is found
that the land fertiliEed as recommended is
in the best possible condition for raising
good crop of wheat, and also for the clover
and grass that follow the wheat Now
here is where the beauties Of the short or
three years rotation comes in, to show
which it becomes necessary to recapitulate.
To begin with clover sod we haul all
Of the manure, coarse and fine, good, bad
and Indifferent on to it, after harvest, as
fast as opportunity will permit. Then we
break this as early as we can next spring,
and are sure we have done the very best
thing possible to put our land in good fer
tility fer corn crop, and also for the
wheat and clover that follow the corn.
Then we repeat the same process after the
clover has stood one year.
We, by this method get three crops for
one blowing. We never have any plowing
(breaking up to do except in the spring
when the land is loose and mellow and
the weather cool. We haul the manure
when the ground is solid and the manure
light and easy to handle, and at time Of
the year when the time for such work can
best be spared. have found that the time
Of greatest leisure to the former, except in
the winter when ''no man can work, is in
the autumn, between wheat harvest and
corn gathering.
The change produced in the soil, by
even the poorest and coarsest kind Of litter,
when spread in August and September, is
something wonderful; indeed, it is fully
equal to that produced on my friend 'B's"
land, when hauled in the spring and imme-
diately plowed under, and according to our
experience, and we have tried both ways,
a title bit better.
But in conclusion, if you don't haul out
your fertilizers in the fall be sure that you
do haul enough each year at some time or
other to keep up an increased and increas-
ing fertility Of your soil, and be sure that
every particle that can be used to increase
the productiYeness Of your fields, is saved
and used 20 the very best advantage.
A poor plan ,0sH followed is decidedly
preferable to no plan at all; therefore let
every farmer adopt the system Of rotation
best adapted to his soil and his own wants,
and plan which should be iron clad" as
it were, but a plan of his own, for every
person can follow, aud adhere rigidly to
plans of their own much better than a plan
laid out by some one else.
In justice to myself want to say right
here that it is not that think myself wiser
than my neighbor farmers that 1 write
more than they, not at all; for all that ]
know, nearly, have learned from seeing
and reading how other people do. My
main reason for writing is for discipline
/, for the training Of my own mind ant
: thoughts. If in 80 doing, can induct
! others TO think more, and be better farmer
{ and help to make our county papers NOR.
d readable and useful, my end in writing il
, accomplished CLoDHoPPER.
GLENwooD, April 9th, 1885,
- Perfect soundnesB Of body and mind is pos