SECRETARY'S REPORT. 51 



had yielded good returns. He had tried top-dressing with good 

 results. 



Mr. Palmer said that observation and experience had taught him 

 that if he had 20 cords of manure he would spread it in 3 inches 

 deep ; if he had 40 cords, would work it in 6 inches deep ; if 80 

 cords, 9 inches, and if 100 cords, 12 inches. The depth depended 

 very much upon the quantity of dressing. 



Dr. True said there was no topic of more practical importance. 

 It is easy for a farmer, with or without science, to run to extremes. 

 If you have a strong granite soil and an abundance of manure, 

 there is but little fear of going too deep. The manure should be 

 incorporated with the soil, and not suffered to lie in a solid mass 

 below. 



Mr. Norton said tliat his experience had taught him that the 

 long, strawy manure from. the yard should not be spread on the 

 surface. Old and fine manure should be thus spread. The heap 

 in the yard should be frequently worked over — hauled out in the 

 fall, and spread early in the spring. Different soils must be differ- 

 ently treated. 



Mr. Rogers had experimented in the application of manures, and 

 had derived great benefit by surface dressing on grass land. He 

 composted manure in the fall — hauled out in the winter and spread 

 on the snow. He knew of a worn out farm which had been made 

 to yield five fold by surface manuring. The hay crop is one of the 

 most important, and for this crop he approved of this mode. 

 Where the land is plowed, the manure should be thoroughly incor- 

 porated with the soil. 



Mr. Moulton said, that owing to the wire worm, a large portion 

 of crops must be obtained from broken land. His plan was — about 

 10th of May, upon land cutting from one to one and a half tons to 

 the acre, to spread about three-fifths of his coarse manure and turn 

 it in under deep plowing, and in about ten days, after harrowing 

 once, to spread the other two-fifths and then harrow again, and 

 plant. At the end of six years with deep plowing, the soil will 

 be as strong as at the end of three years with shoal plowing. 



Mr. Hammatt said that the current practice needed amendment. 

 He spoke from experience when he talked of the application of 

 manures. With slight exception he had been a farmer all his life, 

 and no man of his age had carted more manure. He was now sat- 

 isfied that one half of all the manure he had ever employed was 

 wasted by misapplication. He had long covered manure deeply. 



