Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-09-23
FALL MANURlNG.
An Excelgeat Time for Applying Fertfltz~
ers to the Soil.

An ExcelEeRt Time for Applying FertfA&~
ers to the Soil.
A great mistake is made by many
farmers in the use of manure in the fall
by leaving it in heaps in the field until
it can be spread over the land. 1t is
quite common to see these manure heaps
thus lying for months exposed to the
weather. This is great waste. The
rain washes the soluble part of the
heaps into the soil, and this portion of
it is of far the greatest value, what is
left being bereft of almost all its fer
tilizing elements. Consequently few
spots of the field are made exceedingly
rich while all the rest is scarcely
MANFRED at all. The wheat or rye in
the MANFRED places is too rank, and will
| fall down and yield nothing, while the
remainder is starved for want of food.
| Thus the crop is damaged instead of
| benefited and the land is no better than
! before.
In spreading manure for the wheat
crop it is convenient to drop it in small
heaps, as by this means it can be meas
| ured out accurately over the land. But
| it should be scattered as it is dropped.
| There is no extra expense or loss OF
| time about this, for it must be done
some time, and there is a great gain, as
has been shown in doing it at the right
| time There is no loss in spreading
manure over the land at any time if 1t
is scattered evenly, or with due regard
| to the needs of the land. There is often
a marked difference in the quality of
| the land in the same field, for various
reasons, and this should be taken into
account in the manuring. The less
| fertile portions of the land should be
brought up gradually by giving them
| more manure than the remainder until
the soil is of even quality all through.
Manure that is exposed to the weather
loses it's soluble substance and when it
| is not spread where it is to be finally
used. When heaped in yards it loses
| fully one-fourth of its value in three
months, the greatest part OF the loss
being in the nitrogen, which is changed
into nitric acid or ammonia, and either
is washed out by the rains or escapes
into the atmosphere. There is also a
loss of the inorganic portions of it.
chiefly the potash. which is washed out
by the rain as it is developed by the de-
composition of the organic matter.
When the manure is spread on the
fields no waste occurs, at least when it
is spread evenly. because every thing
goes into the soil, where it does the
most good and where it is wanted.
MANY farmers, knowing this and having
opportunities to do so, spread the
manure as it is made on the fields, and
thus use it with the greatest economy.
But is it evident that the common prac
tice of top dressing wheat fields in the
winter is not desirable practice ane
that the manure is far more beneficial
to the crop, and far more economically
used when it is used in the fall. Wher
the land is frozen it can not absorb any
thing because the water which may fal
upon the surface flows off at once ant
necessarily carries off every thing which
is held in it in solution. Hence Their.
! is much loss of valuable matter caused
bv the washing of manure that is spreae
in the winter, and the common prac
tice of top dressing grain fields at tina
season is not to be commended.
In the fall use of manure it is by IA
the best way to pillow it in the soil; no
, to bury it completely but to lap it in be
, tween the furrow slices from the top tt
the bottom of them. It is then com
pletely mixed with the soil by subse
J quent narrowing, and can be quickl.
reached by the roots of the youns
plants. Moreover. the inert plant foot
, in it is very rapidly developed by thu
I active oxidation of the organic matter
in the soil. and this process is all thu
, more effective and rapid as thu
soil is made finer by good cult
. ure and tillage. Porous substances have
9 the power of causing the oxygen OF thu
air to act with exceedingly rapid effec
D upon carbonaceous substances. This Ii
! shown by the very common spontane
Gus combustion of saw-dust, cottor
0 waste, wooden rags and similar sub
stances which are saturated with oil; thu
oxygen is condensed in the interestice
of the porous matter and SO rapid.
D oxidizes it that it heats and finally in
flames. Precisely similar actor
! takes place in porous mellow
Q soil, and the manure in i
is quickly decomposed, (decompo
sition is slow combustion, and moth
ing less or more,) and brought into I
useful condition for the plants to fee'
upon. Hence the fall is an excellen
time for applying manure to the sol
t and blowing it in and distributing it b
: narrowing, and the more the soil is pull
verified the better results are secured TO
the crops-M y. Times.