The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-06-07
RAI.EIaH. y. q. JUNE Z. 1895. =.

had en- example on a small scale OF the
value OF surface manuFing ON O. clay.
soil. A year ago we built at our col
lege q new lecture hall. laboratory and
greenhouses for my department. To
getaa level site for the uildings' we
had 60 e1cRyate into red 5cIay hillside
and pile the clay taken fromithe exca.
walton ia the lower levels. d On the
grounds around this building I have
been trying to convert this clay into q
garden. Grass plants were formed and
large shrubbery beds prepared, and
planted IN the untamed clay. After
everything was planted q good coat OF
manure was placed ON the surface and
left there. Last summer was the hot
est and dryest ever known here, but il
Wes pleasant 20 see how things grew
and aourished in that clay which was
merely the subsoil piled three or four
feet deep. This spring the soil in these
beds WorksRs mellow az the traditional
ash heap and the bIoomIof the roses
and shFubbery OF all kinds il simply
0msEipga being fully twics as great as
with the same kinds of plants set I'm
natural soil everywhere. use all ma
nHre as mulch either in garden OF
feld.-aIn the garden, after setting
plants or planting seed the manure is
spread over the surface and left there
to be slightly worked in during cult
yatf0n. On the farm, the place for the
farm manure is On the clover as fast
as it can be gotten from the stables.
There la but O little while during the
early summer when il cannot be put
there, and then we are usually oobusy
TO haul it out. But except inmsking
q fine compost for greenhouse use,
composing ia about the worst waste
OF time and labor that q farmer can
engage IN. Manure. is heavy and ex
pensive stuff to- handle IN proportion
b ita value, and it does not pay Ongthe
ordinary farm crops TO spend time
piling and turning q lot Of earth, litter
and drOppinga and imagine that 10 is
all manure. Far better get the drop
pings out Rs fast as madel where they
will help 30 grow the compost all over
the land In the shape Of peas or clover
a pile Of Wellrotted manure contain
ing half doEsn or more loads is simply
all that in left Of four or ave times the
amount which has largely gone Co
waste in the turning and Aning.l The
silliest Of ali ways to handle nanureis
to haul it to the field and laboriousIY
fork it into little piles, when the spread
ing could be better done at once from
the wagon The place Of all others Tor
the manure is on the clover, and the
time to put it there is as soon as you
can after it drops in the stable.I Do
not be afraidof the eun shining on it
or the winds drying il, or Of it's run.
ming down hill, for If the soil has
goodly proportion Of clay In it, it will
take and hold the manure andgWhen
the sod in plowed for hoed crop the
plant food is right where the corn
needs it, near the surface There is
nothing in. which thereis more waste
on the farm, both Of fertility and labor
than I'm the handling OF the uanure.
Manure is not a thing to- hoard . but
like money, should be put at once to
interest. Every day you keepait idle
in the barnyard you are losing the in
terest it would gbe making on the
fisld. Rotting manure is simply vast
ing manure. Let it rot onathe land
where every drop will feed q plsnt.Yj 20