The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-08-06
The FurroW
Ne01S and Vieqvs About The Farm

| and the maximum amount of organic
matter for the soil. Grass is a heavy
feeder, like corn, and makes good use
| of nitrogen. Its roots fill the soil s.,
that no loss attends the use of manure
When the supply is given the grass
after the harvest of the second crop
of clover and during the winter, the
| timothy can make a rank growth. The
part of the plant above ground has
corresponding development below
ground. Not only does large increase
in the hay crop result, but the heavy
mass of grass roots, the aftermath, ard
| the remains of the manure provide L
great amount of fertility for the corn
which follows. The increase in hay
permits a corresponding increase in
the manure supply the next year, if it
| is fed, and if is sold on account of a
market price greater than the value
for feed and manure, it adds to income
|materially-and that is one reason for
farming.
Manure on Potatoes
| There are excellent cash crops that
may get more than their snare of the
farm supply of fertility, and against
the interest of fields in the farm no;
adapted to cash crops. The justifica-
ton is found in the farm ledger. In
some regions potatoes are the best
crop in point of net income per acre,
where the acreage is kept restricted so
| that there may be plenty of organic
matter to he1p>i in conserving moisture.
| 1t is not good practice to use fresh
manure, and especially that from
horse stables, for potatoes. A heavy
application makes an excessive growth
of vine, and the yield of tubers suffers.
A stronger deterrent is the effect that
fresh manure has on the development
| of the spores that produce the disease
knawn as potato scab. Rotted manure
| is less dangerous. and few crops repay
| it's use in higher degree than the
potato Some growers prefer to make
heavy application of fresh manure to
grass for corn, and follow with pota-
toes so that they can profit by the
rotted organic matter that remains.
In this way the physical condition is
made excellent, moisture is we'll held
| in a dry season, and commercial fer
tilizers can supplement the plant food
| left in the manure.
When to Pillow Down
| Excellent farmers differ regarding
the efficiencies of manure plowed down
and that mixed with the top soil. Both
classes may be right for their indi-
vidual instances. The blowing down
of manure helps to deepen the soil,
and that always is desirable. 1t causes
plants to root deeply, ana tnat IS g
distinct benefit in a drouthy season.
and always desirable. When a soil is
in such filth that the breaking-plow
always brings fertile soil to the sur.
face, the blowing down of manu- G
gives excellent results, though II
should be permitted to leach at the
surface for a few weeks before being
turned under. When land is being
prepared for seeding of grass Oh
clover, the supply of manure should
not be plowed down wherever the
breaking-plow brings soil to the sur.
face that is deficient in humus. In
the latter case the manure always
should be used as a top-dressing, and
hould be evenly spread and well mixed
with the surface, soil. 1t is needed
there far more than it can be needed
farther down. The surface soil always
should have high content of organic
matter.
Heavy Applications
| When the farm supply of manure is
small, applications should be light
The manure should not be the de,
pendence for plant food on a part
of field or single field of the farm
under such circumstances. 1t is moro
profitable to give light dressing u
larger area. The manure is needed
to make fertilizing crop grow, and
a very few tons per acre can assist
greatly. when rightly used. The ma
nure is needed to furnish bacteria to
the soil, and a small amount per acre
is useful for the purpose. Always
there is temptation to use all the ma
nure on a field convenient to the barn
and to concentrate it on sufficiently
small area to make a good yield sure
The loss to the farm in this method
is heavy. The thin spots and the thin
fields have first right to the manure
as a top dressing, and six tons per
acre will bring larger returns per ton
than IL tons per acre. At the Pennsyl-
vania experiment station the land re-
ceiving 10 tons of manure per acre
IN the common four years rotation OF
corn, oats, wheat, and mixed clover
and grass gives added returns OF
SO a ton, while an application of s
tons pays $1S5 ton, and 6-ton appli,
cation brings the value per ton up to
90 A. rrboca appJiootiOnc ara mod :,