SURFACE MANURING AND TOP DRESSING. 115 



greatest product, animal or vegetable manure must also be added. 

 He continues, " the proper manner of applying manure is by mixing 

 in a compost and scattering it over the surface, where the grass is 

 just commencing a vigorous growth in spring, or simultaneously 

 with the first rains after mowing. The growing vegetation soon 

 buries the manure under its thick foliage, and the refreshing show- 

 ers wash its soluble portions into the roots ; and even the gases that 

 would otherwise escape, are immediately absorbed by the dense 

 leaves and stalks, which everywhere surround it. When scattered 

 broadcast, under such circumstances, the loss of manure is trifling, 

 even in a state of active decomposition." 



I knew a worn out field renovated and brought to a high state of 

 fertility by applying long manure from the barn cellar, to the sur- 

 face of grass land in the winter season, spreading it on the snow. I 

 think had the owner composted his manure with other material, and 

 allowed it to decompose before applying it, he would have derived 

 still more benefit from it. 



It is true most farmers after paying proper attention to manuring 

 their corn and root crops, have but little left for top dressing grass 

 land. But is it not a question worthy of careful consideration, 

 whether it is not better to cultivate less breadth of hoed crops, and 

 turn our attention more exclusively to the raising of hay 7 



A compost formed of barn manure, muck or soil from the road 

 side, salt and lime, gypsum, wood ashes, old forest leaves and vege- 

 table matter of any kmd, will be found an excellent article for top 

 dressing grass land, and will richly repay the farmer for all his la- 

 bor in preparing and applying it. 



Besides compost and barn manure, there are various mineral and 

 other substances, which may be resorted to, as a top dressing, by 

 almost all farmers to a greater or less extent. Among these I would 

 name gypsum or plaster of Pans, which on some soils produces a 

 very beneficial efiect, and for such, is a very cheap manure. 



Common salt frequently produces wonderful effects, particularly 

 when applied on localities at a distance from the sea shore. It has 

 been comparatively but little used in this country as a manure, al- 

 though the result has almost invariablj'' proved it beneficial when- 

 ever it has been tried. Prof Johnston in his Appendix to his Lec- 

 tures on Agricultural Chemistry, gives the results of experiments 



