220 GRASSES AND FORAGE PLANTS. 



that the animal part of bones, which amounts to about one- 

 third, contains eight or ten times as much ammonia as the 

 manure of tlie cow, and that the fertilizing salts in bones are 

 sixty-six times tlie amount of a like quantity of the manure of 

 the cow. So that a smaller quantity of bone dust will answer 

 the purpose of a much larger quantity of manure from the 

 stable. We can but liope that every former will try the experi- 

 ment. It may be done on a small scale, at first, though in the 

 vicinity of every butcher's establishment, bones can commonly 

 be procured in any quantity. 



Thus far I have spoken of manures which l)elong more 

 peculiarly on the surface, as a top-dressing for grass. For 

 though they are sometimes used, especially plaster, on ploughed 

 land, with potatoes and other crops, yet their influence on the 

 surface is thought to be far more effective. Indeed, the benefit 

 of lime, plaster and charcoal, would, in a great measure, be 

 lost were they to be buried to any depth in the earth. But 

 there are other manures which are often used as top-dressings. 



One of the best practical farmers of Hampden county, says : 

 " I top-dress almost all of my mowing in the fall, cut two crops 

 on all of them, and on some a third. I make a com- 

 post of earth and manure — make in tlie lot where it is used, by 

 plovighing off a thin turf on the lower side of a small hill or 

 knoll, taking the turfs to the hog-yard, and then cart from the 

 stable three, five, or ten loads, or more, as I have the manure. 

 Drop the manure upon the ground that the turf was removed 

 from, then plougli on the upper side of the hill and shovel two 

 loads of earth upon each load of manure, beginning in the 

 spring, so on through the season. As the manure of the barn 

 increases, cart to the meadow, placing it upon the upper side of 

 the first heap and plough and shovel as before. From one hun- 

 dred loads of good stable manure it makes three hundred loads 

 of good compost, and will make as much grass as so many loads 

 of stable manure. For grass, put ton cart loads, per acre. 

 Spread in the fall upon mowing, this compost makes more grass 

 than green manure carted and spread upon mowing in the 

 spring. In almost all cases the knoll or hill carted until it is 

 level with tlie adjoining ground, produces more crop than 

 before." 



Another, in Berkshire county, says : " Top-dressing for mow- 



