Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1903-03-12

a
manure spread out during The fall
and early winter the most respon-
sive. We generally apply our com
post on sod land for the next spring s
crop, and the early applied manure
starts the grass roots, and becomes
closely embedded in the soil, so the
piows turn it better. With this ma
nure we force some green humus
that will help the decomposition Of
the old vegetable. matter. and, as
growing crops are somewhat cana
balistic in their nature, the earlier
we get the decomposition set in the
more advantageous the result In
| applying the manure, we aim 70 dis
tribute IL over our land ia such a
manner as to bring the general av-
verage Of the fields up 10 the same
fertility we apply heavier where
the land is thin. What are termed
CALLED knobs have been made prod
uctive at once by hauling on rich
soil from fence rows, ditch banks or
any other inaccessible place for eul-
tiyation. 1t is a waste Of coarse ma.
nure TO put II there and expect i'm
mediate results. The greatest care
is taken OF our home compost. We
have learned to fully appreciate It's
worth, and, as more or less profit is
derived from the way our roughage
is fed, IL is subject for constant
care, When ! was younger and less
experienced, remember having
read Of or being told that the thrifty
northern farmer kept a broom con.
veuieut 70 sweep inside the barn any
waste that would likely follow by
stock being taken out. Ii seemed
nonsensical then and no doubt to
many nov, but those who know up.
preciaie the wisdom OF these sages.
so let us be watchiul. All stock
running on pasturage during the
time II is left out at night, should be-
ponned on some thin portion Of
the cultivated land the summer be-
before Il IN worked We have i'm
proved q good deal Of our poorest
land this way We generally Sc
lect poor piece Of elevated ground
II the laud Is heavy or compact, as
heavy soils generally are, IL should
be deeply and thoroughly plowed
before the pen Is made The pen
should be large enough 70 conve-
uiently accommodate all the stock
and should be moved three or four
times during O season. Avoid get
ting too much Of this fertility on at
one time II for any reason the pen
Is allowed 10 stand 10 one place all
thesummer, theaccumulationss should
0e taken oil and applied on some
other portion Of the field. as enough
has ieacbed into tbs land to make
this Que spot good.
Commercial fertilizers we are Us
ing most extensively every year on
all crops, feeling that the more hu.
mus we have IN the soil 10 more ad.
vantage we can use larger amount
Of fertilizer On our clay lads We
use more nitrogen and phosphorie
acid on light soils q predominating
percentage OF potash aud phospho
ric acid, AS different crops need dif.
ierent elements, aud each character
OF soil is either proficient or def.
cient 10 one Of the three plant ele.
ments. We realize the need OF In
diyldual study and experimenting.
What ! know Of these things has
been learned from the Agricultural
Press and Experiment Station Bull.
letins, and our own personal expe-
rience from experiment. While, no
doubt, vast amount of money has
been wasted in our country by the
indiscriminate and injudicious use
OF commercial fertilizers, we have
always felt that we have been bene-
fitted by its use, and shall never con
denim the bridge that has carried as
safely over.
Our rotation, as before stated, is
three year one with corn, and to-
baeco on heavily MANFRED clover
sod, followed by wheat and clover.
With this rotation we have no oc.
casion TO grow green humus. Have
never been impressed with she idea
that it paid to grow one crop direct
ly to feed another. In fact, We have
had TO depend on the profits from
FOUR crops to maintain our financial
equilibrium, and in this discussion
it has been impossible in a measure
to divorce the subject OF profitable
crop growing from the one Of soil