The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-05
CROSS FLOWING.
Why the Farmer of a Metropolitan News
paper Advocates Cross Flowing In the
SuriDQ.


Why the Farmer of Metropolitan News
Spring.
The management of manure in the
soil is always subject of interest to
farmers. There is much difference of
opinion in respect to the use of manure
and its practical bearing upon the yield
of the crops. For instance, one farmer
believes in surface manuring altogether;
another thinks manure should be plowed
in; another would have it spread upon
the soil already plowed and thoroughly
mixed with it by narrowing, or with the
cultivatOr; Others prefer to plOw in ma
nure in the fall and cross plow it back
to the surface in the spring. All these
methods have their advocates, and each
one OF them will profess to have good
profits of the value of his way of doing
it. But while each way may be good
there are certainly some better than
others. ard it is well to have such ques-
tons discussed and try to find out why
one way is or ought to be better than
the others. From what is known of the
action Of the soil upon organic matter
it seems reasonable to suppose that the
best way of using the manure Is TO mix
it as evenly as possible through the
soil. The soil, when well plowed and
broken up being very porous, eXerts a
strong oXidizing action, such as Is
known to be common to all finely dl-
vided or exceedingly porous substances.
Familiar instances of this action are
given by spongy platinum, which will
cause alcohol to slowly burn away with
out any flame or heat being applied,
and wooden or cotton waste or rags
which. when saturated with oil or tur-
pentine, viii generate sufficient heat to
infame and burn by the absorption OF
oxygen. The same is true, but TO 2 less
extent, with all very porous substances,
and is true to a marked extent with the
soil. This is shown by a well-knOwn
experiment, viz, to bury in the soil a
quantity of flowers of sulphur and iron
filings and leave them for twenty
four hours, when, by a rapid process of
oxidation. the mass becomes in an active
state of combustion and flames burst
from the soil. a similar action takes
place when organic matter is buried in
the soil, and manure plowed Ia Is acted
upon IL this manner and becomes sub
iect to an active fermentation, by which
it is decomposed. furnishes material for
the rapid production of nitrateS by
means of living germs, which increase
with amazing rap;dity. and in doing
this acts also as a solvent Tor the min
eral matter of the soil. Thus the
manure not only adds 10 the soil its own
contribution. but it eXerts a strong
chemical effect upon it. To do this
with full effect the manure must be
buried in the soil. If it is only spread
upon the surface partial action occurs
and no more; the soil is aided to the
extent of the addition of the manure,
but no active nitriication can occur, nor
is there possible any solvent action
upon the mineral matter. This is
the theoretical view of the case, it is
true; but in this case the theory
is certainly both an explanation OF
aud is explained by the actual prac-
tice and experience of farmers during
scores Of years past. 1t may be said
that MANY farmers have found that
manure spread upon the surface pro-
duces quite equal results with manure
that has been plowed into the soil. This
is by no means satisfactory argument,
because no one can know the effect of
the variations of soil. quality of manure,
and many other elements in the case
which would affect the result and
which do affect results in the most
surprising manner when such eX-
periments are made side by side upon
the same soil.
In our own practice for many years
we have found that manure plowed into
the soil in such manner that it is not
buried fiat, and out of the way of the
beneficial action of the atmosphere, but
is covered in between lap burrows laid
on edge ut an angle Of forty-tive de-
CreeS, so that the air has abundant ac-
cess to the soil and through every part
of il; that manures so plOwed in, IN the
fall to be more completely mixed 10y
| croSS-plowin9 or by cultivatOr. or best
still by such an implement as the Acme
pulyerizing harrow which mixes very
! Intimately the soil and the manure. will
| ALWAYS produce the very best results.
By such a method Early Rose potatoes
have yielded $50 bushels per acre; corn
| has produced seventy-tive TO eighty
| bushels: oats. seventy bushels: wheat,
thirty-fve bushels, and the succeeding
grass and clover have produced two and
one-half tons per acre. An Ohio farmer
who is n special potato grower pro-
duced go bushels per acre by this man
ner of cultivation. Many other farmers
practice it with ucceSs.-Henry SteG-
| art. ia Y. \. Times.