Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-02-02
MANURE IN WINTER.
Objections Urged Against Applying
II TO Erozen Ground.

Objections Urged Against AppfyinB
1t to Frozen Ground.
The annual problem of the proper
management of manure in winter is re-
ceiving attention as usual by agricul-
tural authorities and individual farm
ers and it is almost needless to say that
great difference of opinion exists.
One of the latest expressions of ideas on
the vexed question is that of Mr.. L. II.
Read of Wisconsin in The Orange Judd
Farmer, where be advises do not ap-
ply manure to frozen ground >
Mr.. Read says: In the teachings OF
many of our farm institute workers
upon this subject there is much that Is
misleading. to say the least Many OF
them urge that it is the proper thing TO
apply manure during the winter months
upon hard frozen ground or even on top
OF several feet of snow; also that il is
better to apply manure to the surface
of the land than to plow it under Both
propositions are the worst kind of folly
The best parts of manures are the
most soluble They will wash away in
the surface water and be lost before the
frost is out of the ground and absorp-
ton is possible Thus the best part of
manure applied upon frozen ground Is
sure to be carried away altogether or
else carried upon lower ground, where
it is not needed 1t is claimed that this
is natures plan, as all dead and decay
ing grasses, leaves etc, are deposited
upon the surface; therefore we should
apply our manures in the same manner.
These advocates forget that the moment
they try to cultivate any plant or even
turn the sod with spade or plow they
have abandoned natures plans and
gone step in advance. Natures law
is the survival of the fittest, but man
in his strides of progress has improved
upon nature by selection and cultiva-
ton. Our wheat, oats, rye and other
grains We're but wild grasses which
have been bred up to their present con-
dition by the careful labors of the in
telligent cultivator. So in the appEca-
ton of manure we must improve upon
natures plan, for our object should be
to make our soil as rich as possible with
the means at our command.
We see by watching some of nature 8
works that the richest lands are those
deep and well filled with decaying vege-
table matter, as. for example, the re-
claimed swamp, which is one mass of
decayed vegetation. These, when drain
ed of their surplus water and allowed to
absorb air and sunshine, become the
most productive, because they are full of
vegetable matter or humus So in APP
plying manures we should aim to fill
the ground to as great depth as posi-
BILE with vegetable matter. This applies
not only to stable manures, but to green
crops, which we should grow and pillow
under, for by so doing we ill the soil
with the much needed humus This
makes the land light. loamy, capable
of absorbing much more rain and with
standing greater drought.
Another objection to mixing manures
in the surface layers is that the tend
ency of the valuable parts of the ma
nure is always downward, that every
rain carries it down and it soon gets
below the reach of plant roots. This is
the most foolish kind Of nonsense. foI
nearly all cultivated crops send then
roots down to depth of from two tc
four feet, even in a stiff clay The idea
that all water in the soil is going down
ward is wrong, for nearly always as
much water rises through the soil by
capillary attraction as soaks down from
above and often even more.
BY keeping our land cultivated about
two inches deep we stop the escape Of
much of this water that comes up from
below and keep the soil moist so that
the plants can get the food they need
Consequently it is always advisable tc
apply manure when there is no frost in
the ground and to work it into upper
layers of the soil