The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1893-09-07
APPLYING MANURE.
When, Where and How to Return Vitality
to the Soil.

men, "n0Fc ana HOW TO Return Vitality
to the Soil.
AS soils differ in fertility and general
composition, no general rule can be
laid down for the application of ma
nure, and farmers should recognize the
fact that nearly every special case
needs special directions.
With respect to applying manure to
the land for winter crops, there is a
division of opinion among farmers
which, when narrowed down, really
amounted to no difference at all.
The farmer who advocates the pillow.
ing of manure into the soil for seeding
fall grain crops does so from practical
experience, and in so far as his soil is
concerned he is probably right; but his
neighbor who reserves his manure for
a top-dressing later may be equally in
the right. One has no authority for die
tating to the other, and asserting that
what applies to his case must apply to
every other case.
The cause of this division of opinion
is due to the diversity of soils and mar
row minded conclusions drawn from
individual experience. Some soils do
better when the manure is plowed in
w it'll the winter grain and others do
better when it is reserved for seeding
later in the year. If the soil is poor,
barren and lacking in the fertilizing
qualities necessary to give the grain
good start, it stands to reason that ma
nure plowed in with the seed will have
the best results. If the plants are put
in such barren soil that they can not
get growth enough to resist the cold of
winter, and when the time comes for
using a top dressing, there are very
few plants left to make use of it. The
few that remain have not received suf-
tcient nourishment to form good roots
and stalks, and the chances are the
top dressing will never revive them
enough to produce good grain stalks
and heads.
If, however, the soil is Astounding in
fertility, the seeds will get ready and
rapid start soon after they are planted,
and any additional manure would seem
to be superhuous. 1t would be more
profitable to reserve the manure
until the middle of winter, when il
may be spread over the grain as top
dressing. 1t will then serve the double
purpose of shelter to the plants and
food foy the plants early in the spring,
when they are eager to appropriate all
fertility to themselves that they can
draw from their surroundings There
are some soils thus supplied with fer
tility enough to give the plants good
start in the fall of the year, and plow-
ing manure under at the seeding time
is not good policy.
The whole question of applying the
manure to the land in the autumn re-
solves itself into the question of the
soil, it's characteristics and general fer
tility. Most soils are of the former
character, and very rarely one is suf-
fering from a superabundance OF fer
tility. For most soils, then, blowing
in the manure in the fall will be found
to yield the most satisfactory results,
and this should be done with the idea
of placing the manure as close to the
plant roots as possible, and in such
condition that they can readily absorb
it. Thorough pulverization of the soil
and manure is essential, and then
complete mixture of the two by means
of pillow and harrow. This induces
rapid decomposition of the manure,
and makes it available for plant food.
1t also operates upon the soil, and
makes its mineral particles more avail
able. If lime is used with the manure,
this reciprocative action is increased,
and the results desired obtained under
more favorable circumstances.-A.B b.
Barrett, in American Cultivator.
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