Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1875 — Application of Manures. [ARTICLE]

Application of Manures.

How best to apply manure to land is a question of considerable importance to the agriculturist. The old aud generally-ac-cepted method is to apply all coarse manures, such as those from the stable aud barnyard, to the surface and plow them under. By doing this at once evaporation of the volatile gases is prevented, us well as waste during heavy rains. With all such manures we believe tips to be the best course to pursue, although some discrimination should be exercised in performing the operation, in order to meet the wants of the plants. For the small grains it is unadvisable to cover the manure so deep that the roots caunot readily reach it while the plants are young; but for the coarser growing kinds,' like corn, or for trees, there is little danger to be apprehended on this score. Of late years the advocates of the topdressing system of applying all kinds of manure have been running to extremes in tlieir theories, frequently insisting that therc can be no waste in surface appHcatious under any circumstances, while common sense ought to show that losses must frequently occur by an indiscriminate application of fertilizers to the soil, iu such a manner that they must take their chances of being washed away or of 'losing their valuable properties by evaporation. Our low lands and valleys everywheie show the effect of the washing down of vegetable matter from the hills, even when the soil, is protected or held in place by natural obstructions in the form of trees, shrubs aud other wild plants. The same washing occurs when land is cultivated, and frequently to a still greater degree; liecce the argument in favor of covering or plowing under manure soon after it is applied to all soils that are not so near level as to prevent water from running off’ the surface in any direction. Top-dressing meadows and wiuteVgrain with coarse, manure in the fall is practiced very extensivehxjind usually with great •advantage. 15irt it is-qucsTionabte it the results are wholly due to the fertilizing properties of these surface applications, for it is wt|ll known that a mulch or winter protection of pine leaves, sawdust and similar substances, which contain little, if any plant food, frequently produces a great improvement in the crop. Of course, if barnyard manure is to be had in abundance, we should prefer it as a mulch for a meadow to leaves or because whatever portion of its juices descended to the roots would certainly act as a stimulant to the plants, But where this material is scarce and valuable the economy of applying it as a - top-dressing is, to say the least, doubtful. Of course we are well aware that there are meadows, the fertility of which has been kept up to a very high standard by surface applications of barnyard manure alone; but these instances of success are by no means sufficient to establish the fact that this system is the best in all cases and upon every Variety of soil. We have tried surface applications of the Lest stable manure to meadows, without producing equal to one-half- the value of the manure, and have consequently abandbned the system for the one which gave better returns for the outlay; that is, breaking up and mixing with the soil whenever such fertilizers were required. Lime, ashes, soot, guano and similar fertilizers may always be applied to the surface, as the small*quantity

used and the minute divisions of the particles permit a rapid sinking into the earth; hence no washing away need be feared, even upon uneven or hilly land. Top-dressing of meadows and winter grain in the fail as an extra protection to the roots will seldom fail to he productive of good results; but it, is seldom that a man can afford to use stable manure for this purpose. Leaves, leaf-mold, *■ peat from swamps, straw, or coarse lx>g hay, may lie used instead, and more valuable materials kept for enriching the land when there will lie no risk of waste. We are aware that some of our farmers will not agree with us in this opinion, bu,tnte»cannot help expressing it as the result of long and varied experience.— jV. Y. Sun.