Year: 1869




use it to the best advantage. There has re-
Gently been good deal of discussion upon
the best method of applying manure to the
soil, and great variety of opinions upon the
subject has been expressed. Neither scientlf-
ic, practical nor fanciful farmers are agreed
in opinion upon the question. The opinion
has generally prevailed among farmers that
ground ought to be planted soon after the
manure is spread upon it, lest the rains
should leach it and much of its fertilizing
property be lost before the corn or other crops
could receive any benefit from it. Hence
farmers have been reluctant to plow their
fields and spread their manure in the fall lest
its value should be washed through the win
ter. Now to understand this question fairly
and to form anything like correct opinion
upon it, the necessity of knowing the nature
of soils is forced upon US. Without this
knowledge we are at sea without any compass
or chart.


The great question first to be settled is,
what takes place, what chemical action is
started when manure is mingled with the
soil? Will the soil take care of and appro-
pirate the manure when it comes in contact
with it so that winds, rains and SHOWS cannot
waste it before the vegetables have chance
to come for their share of the fertilizing quail
tiles? Is the nature of soils such that they
will take hold of manure and keep it to foster
and sustain vegetable life? These are impor-
tant questions, and upon the answers to them
depends, in some good degree, our knowl-
edge Of judiciously applying manures. We
believe that it is a fact that soils are made of
elements so admirably combined that they
will hold manure and keep it for the express
purpose-if we may use the phrase-of start
ing and sustaining the life of vegetation, and
that nothing can extract from the soil these
fertiliziag ingredients, but plants trees and
other vegetables which grow out of it. Such
we believe are the laws of nature which are
enacted by a Lawgver who never errs, and
who knows from the beginning of all things
what was necessary to sustain vegetables as
well as animal life.


Prof Way confirms this statement
Speaking Of the clay or aluminous portions OF
soils and of their power of chemically cem-
bining with gaseous compounds of decom-
posing animal matter and also with the aka
lies, ammonia, potash ,magnesa and other ele-
ments he says: "a power is here found to re-
side in soils, by virtue of which not only is
rain unable to wash out of them those solu-
BILE ingredients forming necessary condition
of vegetation, but even these compounds,
when introduced artifcially by manures, are
laid hold of and fixed in the soil, to the abso-
lutte exclusion Of any loss either by rain or
evaporation" If our farmers understand
and believe in this philosophy they viii have
no fears of plowing their lands and harrow
ing in the manure in the fall-a season when
they have more leisure for such work than
they have in the spring. They can also safe
ly spread the manure upon their grass fields
in autumn without the fear of having it
washed and injured by the fall rains or the
melting SHOWS Of spring. Some regard, how
ever, must be had to the clay of the land."-
If the land is not level and brooks run
through it, farmer might well hesitate be-
fore he spread his manure upon the surface
and its fertilizing ingredients be washed of
and wasted in the streams ere there was time
for them to become incorporated into the
soil.


Mr.. Bartlett of the Granite State advances
some excellent ideas on this subject in COM
| munication to the Country Gentleman. In
proof OF the philosophy herein advocated he
alludes to the western prairies which have
lain for untold ages with their bosoms barred
to the peltings of the pitiless storms of melt
ing SHOWS and drenching rains, and yet the
sun does not shine on soils richer in all the
properties necessary for the growth of food
producing plants. For thousands of years
there has been an annual rainfall of forty
five inches showered down upon these tree
less lands, and much of the rain has perco-
lated down. through these deep soils; but they
have held their fertilizing properties in wait
ing for the farmers to put in the wheat and
the corn. Another proof of this wonderful
power of the soil is found in the black soils
| thrown up from bitches in wet swamps and
| spread upon their banks which frequently
yield heavy burden of English hay. Now
these mucky soils have been drenched in wa
ter for centuries, and yet they hold the power
to give life to vegetation.


Mr.. Lawrence, an eminent English farmer
gave his views few years ago in the London
Agricultural Gazette, touching upon this sub
ject. He says: "Autumnal manuring, inn
mediately followed and covered by the plow
is the most valuable discovery, perhaps, in it
results, for which agriculture has been in
debted to science" This discovery of the re-
tentive qualities of soils is valuable and inn
portant to all who live by farming, and wha
benefits them, helps the world.


We have seen farmers working very har,
in the spring in wet, muddy barn-yards, ,'shoy
cling manure into carts and teaming it owe
soft ground to their fields. Often they ar
much hurried and in great sweat to ge
their land ready for planting. 1t is time thei
oats and barley are sown-wheat is unfortu
nately out OF the question-and near pantin,
time for corn and potatoes, and there tn
manure lies about their barns and thei
grounds, perhaps not plowed. What fur,
they are inl Now much of this work ough
to have been done in the previous fall, an'
then advantage could be taken of the spring
work. The more wise and sensible way for
farmer to pursue is to drive his work, ant
not let his work drive him; for when it doe
drive him it is not more than half done, ant
what is worse he sweats more in half doing
it than he would in doing it thoroughly, if i
were done in seasonable time.


A Farmers Club at Sandy Spring. Mary
land, discussed the subject of applying ma
nures for score of years, and tried many ex-
periments. A record was kept of their do
ings. in 1852 the question was asked "Wha
is the best way of using barnyard manure p
Answer-"Plow it under this fall for mex
springs corn crop,' Should it be left spread
on the surface, or plowed under directly
The club was equally divided. But in Au
gust of the next year, the majority favored
hauling out manure in the sod now, ant
leaving it spread to plow Under in the sprinl
for corn. This question was finally SETTLED
in 1859: Sixteen out of seventeen farmer
present preferred surface manuring. MI
Bartlett thinks there is but one objection tt
this-that is, plowing in the spring which
ought to be done in the fall. Ii land il
plowed in the fall it will not hurt 1t to ploW


it again in the spring. The truth is, there il


much to be gained by thorough cultivation


As our lands are becoming exhausted bye
slant c,onnine. the question of applying ma