FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 397 



MANURING HILLY LAND. 



The Farmer. 



In making a journey recently southward we noticed tliat in some 

 sections where the land was more or less rolling, some of the farmers 

 liad drawn out manure and spread the same over the tops of the hills, 

 extending the application some distance down the sides of the same. The 

 plan is unquestionably a wise one, as in such soils the process of carry- 

 ing fertility downward toward the valleys is ever present in a greater 

 -or less degree. 



If the manure were spread over all the land, the latter portions would 

 get far more than their rightful share, and as a consequence there would 

 T)e some unevenness in the growth of the crops that characterizes them 

 when the hills are not sufficiently supplied with fertility. There is a fur- 

 ther advantage in applying manure thus, namely, that if the soils are 

 light it helps to bind them and thus prevents ther lifting to such an 

 extent with the wind. Moreover, when grasses and clover are grown 

 upon them, it has a tendency to protect the plants from the severity of 

 the weather. 



We are pleased, indeed, to note the attention that is tlius being 

 ■given to the judicious application of farmyard manure in some parts 

 •of the State. We have said again and again that in no part of the 

 United States are better returns reaped from the application of farm 

 yard manure than in this Northwest. Of course this statement implies 

 that the fertility must be judiciously applied. There is constant room 

 for the exercise of judgment in applying it. Of course it would be 

 possible so to apply it that in some instances it would dry out the land 

 too much, at least in growing the first crop after it had been applied. 

 In other instances it could be applied so excessively as to practically ruin 

 the grain crops following. There is always a right and wrong way for 

 doing things of this kind and we know of no question more worthy of 

 intelligent thought than the application of the fertilizers made upon 

 the farm. 



COST OF PUTTING UP ENSILAGE. 



F. D. Pierce in Wallaces' Farmer. 



I have noticed recently several letters in the Farmer relating to 

 the cost of putting up ensilage, and I thought possibly my experience 

 along that line might be of value. Nine years ago I built my first silo, 

 which has been filled every year since, and now I have four to fill with 

 a capacity of about four hundred and twenty-five tons. These are situ- 

 ated on two adjoining farms which I rent upon the share plan. One 

 tenant keeps two helpers throughout the season and the other one 

 helper. This makes five men altogether. To these we add two day 

 iands, which completes the force. I furnish a ten-horse power gasoline 



