Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1873 — The Depth to Put Manure. [ARTICLE]

The Depth to Put Manure.

One of the advances of modern agricultural, science is in the knowledge of how v the roots of plants feed. At one time a 'root was a root, and that was all; but it is now well known that roots are of two classes, only one of which has much to do with furnishing food for the plant. These are commonly known as - fibres. They work during the season in taking up manure from the soil, and at the end of a year they mostly die as the leaves do. With tlie development of the leaves there is a new activity in the root fibre’s growth, and many of the old ones die, The novel point in modern knowledge is that these fibrous or feeding roots are always near the surface of the soil. With this knoweedge comes the necessity of modifying old practices of manuring. When it is dug doxvn deep into the soil, or plowed deeply under, it is in a great measure wasted. Tlie true policy now is to keep it as near the surface as possible, so as not to he too much exposed to wasting winds. Tlie practice of the best agriculturists lias been gradual}-' coming to this for years past, without knowing exactly the reason why such good resulted. Surface manuring has been found, in many instances, superior to the old plan of digging in and has found many intelligent, earnest advocates. We do not knowthat we can heartily endorse the plan as a general rule of leaving the manure to lie entirely on the surface to the action of the hot, bleaching sun; but to have it merely harrowed in so that it may be just where the numerous small surface roots can get readily at it, is certainly a good thing, and has been found as good in practice as the considerations we have noted would lead us to expect.— Forney's Weekly Press