86 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Hadwen. My practice is, as I have stated before at 

 a meeting of the Board of Agriculture, to spread my manure 

 immediately after it is made, provided it is convenient to do 

 so ; and that manure is spread upon the tops of furrows. 

 During the winter, every day, or nearly so, the manure is 

 taken from my barn-cellar, and spread upon a field ploughed 

 in the autumn for the purpose. So far as my observation 

 has gone, I get better results from such procedure than by 

 letting it remain in the barn-cellar, and taking it out in the 

 spring, which I have been formerly accustomed to do. The 

 facts are these. There is never any more to manure than 

 when it first comes from the animal. If it is placed imme- 

 diately upon the soil, all the soluble portions are taken up 

 by the soil ; and the insoluble jjortions, by the action of the 

 atmosphere and rain, become suitable food for plants sooner 

 than they will if they remain in your barn-cellar. 



Now, the question comes in relation to the economy of 

 this practice. Every one knows that manure can be handled 

 in the winter season at less expense than in the spring, and 

 my experience has proved that I obtain better crops when 

 the manure is placed on the land in the winter than when it 

 is applied late in the spring. I had a practical demonstra- 

 tion of that on a corn-field this last season. The field was 

 on rolhng land; and, in order to prevent the little wash 

 which we all know will take place, the upper portions of 

 the field, and, in fact, all the field but the immediate lower 

 portions, were top-dressed in the winter. The lower j)or- 

 tion, which was not wider than two rods, was top-dressed 

 in the spring just previous to planting. The crop could be 

 noticed by any one where it was top-dressed in the winter ; 

 and, in fact, the best corn was raised where it was top- 

 dressed earliest in the winter. One end of the field was 

 devoted to cabbages, and with like results. 



Mr. Sjnhth (of Colrain). Are we to understand that Mr. 

 Hadwen puts his manure on the land after it is ploughed ? 



Mr. Hadwek. Certainly. 



Mr. S]MITH. At the last meeting of the Board it was 

 stated that if we spread manure directly from the stable 

 upon the land in winter, even if it is freezing cold, when we 

 plough that land in the spring, the sod will be so nearly 

 decomposed, that it will turn up as mellow as though it had 



