The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-09-21
Glre 6armer,
To Make and Apply Manure.


The farmers manure bank is an impor-
taut item of his working capital, and it is
worthy of consideration that this capital be
used to the best advantage. The problem
is how to get the best and quickest returns.
A merchant always tries to invest in such
goods as will sell the readiest, getting his
capital back and profit with it. Why
should not a farmer be as far-sighted as a
merchant?
A farmer makes his manure through the
winter, while his stock is in the stable con-
Stunning his hay, straw, eornfodder and
grain. The custom hitherto has generally
been toilet the manure lie idle until Auguts,
and then apply to the ground intended for
winter wheat. The wheat thus manfred
cannot be brought into market until an
other year has expired, so that he realizes
no advantage from that manure for eigh-
teen months after it is ready to be applied
to the soil
Now, if the manure had been hauled
from the stable as it was made and spread
on the ground intended for corn, the ex-
pense of doing this at that time of the
year would amount to almost nothing, as
the team and laborer would have but little
else to do. The corn crop would be brought
into market in the months Of October and
November and he could get the cash in
hand ready to invest aud make another
profit on it before he could sell his wheat.
Il would hardly be worth while to 90 into
a calculation to show that crop of corn is
worth more money at this time than crop
of wheat on the same number of acres Of
equal fertility; every intelligent farmer
knows this Then why net apply the
manure to that crop which viii pay the
best?
The argument against this system Is that
the grass following the crop Of wheat viii
not be so much benefited by the manure as
if il had been applied to the wheat There
is some show Of truth in this, bnt not to
the extent that is claimed for IT, Every
farmer aud gardener Is well aware that
the first crop to which manure is applied
takes the cream out Of it. and only the
skinned milk Is left for those which follow
No one can put higher estimate on the
importance Of good grass crop than the
writer. Il should not be left TO starve on
the refuse or leayings Of other crops, but
be fed independently and for its own sake.
The best way to manure grass is by top
dressing Enough Of compost can be
made on a farm every year to top dress a
field at very trihing expense.
When a gardner wants fine, rich earth
for potting pl.nts, he collects sod on the
roadside or a8y where else where he can
get ii, piles d up on heap. the larger the
body the better; here it nndergoes fermen-
tation and is spaded over once or twice
through the summer, This makes an ex-
cellent top dressing for grass. Some lime
or plaster or both added to the sod would
give it more strength Bone dust or the
phosphatcs can be more proftably applied
to grass than any other way. Apply
stable manure to corn in the way pointed
out above, if you want to get the quickest
return and the most money
Here some old fogy will chime in and
say, that by spreading manure on the top
during winter the ammonia and other salts
will be eyaporated and lost This, like
hundreds Of other systems Of philosophy,
has had TO yield to facts. Philosophy is
truth. and any system that viii not bear
the test Of truth is false. Half century
ago philosophy taught that if man drank
cold water while in fever it would be GER
tain DEATH Truth has given that system
its quietus. Even later than that, blood
letting was about the first application to
conquer disease, and no physician would
think Of leaving his Office without lancet
in his pocket That system, too, has had
to yield to truth. Physicians Of the pres
ent day don't want TO hear about blood let
ting as cure. There have been as many
false systems of philosopy as TO any other
profession, but facts viii turn up once ia a
while and upset them.
Instead Of ammonia and other salts be-
ing eyaporated and lost when manure IS
applied to the surface of the soil they are
attracted by the manure from the atmos-
phere, thus secured TO the soil. being wash
ed in by the rains. In addition to this
the manure acts as a mulch. By applying
the manure as above recommended, the
winter and spring rains wash its juices into
the soil, and when plowed under il not
only undergoes fermentation in connection
with the sod, but acts mechanically by
keeping the soil porous for the air to pene-
trate it, which never fails to have good
result.
Again We urge our farmers to make
every effort to accumulate and save all the
manure possible. Some Of the best farm
ers in some counties keep a man with a
horse and cart all the year round collect
ing manure and making compost and find
that it pays. There is annually enough
manure wasted on most farms to keep up
the wasted fertility if it were only proper
ly saved and applied. The cattle yard,
hog pens, poultry house, ETC., should all be
made to contribute their share, and all
should be so manipulated as to give the
greatest benefits to the soil