Year: 1870




the farmers of this section than making


and saving manure; and, from what we can


see and hear, there is nothing upon which


our farmers need more light and knowledge,
than the proper application of manure. 1t


is only few years since that manure was


considered an incumbrance; and it is In the


memory of many of our readers that far


mer of this county built his stable over


stream, so that the manure may be washed


away without giving him the trouble of


hauling it into the gullies or river.


Light IS beginning to dawn upon US, and


we are constantly asked to publish some
thing practical upon making and applying
manures


The following upon the "Application of
manure, we find in the Rural CdrOliniaR
for November, and coming from the pen of
Mr.. E. e. Evans, gentleman we personally
know to be one of the most intelligent,
reliable and practical farmers of the South,
we commend it to the careful study of the
farmers of Western North Carolina


But consider, secondlyzand chiefly, the
application of manure with reference to the
efficiency of this action. The idea is gen.
orally entertained that it makes little differ
enee, as far as the effect is concerned, where
we place our manures in the soil; the chief
| anxiety being to preserve 1t from loss, and
hence the general habit of plowing under,
/ "
| description. But experience of late has
gone far to establish the fact that manures
upon or near the surface nre .far Emore
efficient in their action than when deeply
buried in the soil. The. practice of placing
manures upon the surface has been adopted
by many OF the best practical farmers, and
is sustained by the authority of BOussin-
gault and others Upon what principle does
| this depend? l think the chief expIans-
l., -
plants. The analogy between the appropri-
alton Of foods by animal and vegetable life
is by no means perfect In the one the
appropriation Is made direct, in the other
through the agency of moisture; where
moisture is absent the plant will perish,
though surrounded by every element of
food. This should teach us the Importance
of so placing our manures in the soil that
the descending rains may pass through
them, dissolving and bearing their fertiliz-
ing matter directly to the roots of our
crops We should remember that plants
feed mostly near the surface, and for this
reason, the foregoing very high authority
(Boussingault) regards it as very important
that the manures should be diffused through
the superficial soil Now it is evident that
if the manure be deeply buried it Will re-
quire not only more thorough saturatiOn
of the soil TO make it available to the plant,





disselves the manure will descend still fur
ther below the roots, and, upon some soils,
never to return. This view is sustained by
the striking effects which attend the appIi-
cation of liquid manures. In China, where
necessity imposes the highest production,
and in the more intelligent and thrifty hus-
bandry of Flanders, manure is used in
scarcely any other form, and with results
so striking as to challenge belief 1t might
l. Al, ~.
&c manures at or near surface was in con-
iict with a due regard to their preservation.
But we should remember that the preserva-
ton of manure IS an object subordinate to
the efficiency of their action. We use
manures, not to preserve them, but for their
effect


l consider, thirdly, the application of ma
nures, with reference to the proper time of
their action. Ordinarily, it is used as food
for crops, and as such, the time at which
we desire its action is throughout the entire
period Of growth, and especially at the time
of fruiting. To effect this, it is obviously
proper to diffuse the manure through the
soil, either In the drill or broadcast, or if it
be of very volatile character, it should be
applied at the latest period practicable. But
manure Is sometime used as stimulant, to
mpart an early and vigorous growth for
this purpose it should be applied in close
proximity to the seed, and at the time of
planting Very remarkable results have
sometimes followed its application In this
way. When the drill machine was first in
troduced into England, it was found that
comparatively a small quantity of manure
drilled In with the seed was productive of
better results than much larger quantity
applied in the usual way. This result seem
ed for awhile to unsettle the whole theory
of manuring. The idea was adopted that
larger quantity of manure had hitherto
been used than was necessary, and that,
consequently, a larger breadth Of land
might be manured than had formerly been
done But more extended experience has
led to the opinion. that manure thus applied
did not owe its efficacy to the amount of
plant food furnished, but to its early stimu-
lating effect-thereby placing the plant in
condition 10 appropriate the resources of the
atmosphere and the soil. In this view it is
evident that this mode of application must
be limited to comparatively fertile soils, or to
cold heavy soils We have seen illustra-
tions of this truth in our own farming;
upon strong and heavy soils, manuring corn
in the hill at the time of planting is gener-
ally productive of the best results, while
upon thin soils it usually terminates in dis
appointment


According to the annual report of the
Commissioner of the General Land Office,
the entire area Of the public domain is
1874 ,993, 400 acres, of which, during the
n