THE TIM BUNKER PAPERS. 177 



compost was made of pig-pen manure, with muck rather 

 fresh dug. I had a good deal of query in my own mind 

 about the best time of spreading manure on mowing land, 

 and had pretty serious doubts about midsummer, and 

 feared the loss of ammonia, etc. This don t look as if the 

 manure lost much of its strength. The rest of the piece 

 was top-dressed in March, and it is not near as heavy. I 

 am not prepared to say, exactly, that I think midsummer 

 is the best time, for I suppose the grass has not got all the 

 strength of the manure put on this spring, and another sea 

 son, or the after-feed this year, may make the case look 

 different. I have no doubt the manure put on last sum 

 mer acted as a mulch, sheltering the roots of the herds- 

 grass, which suffer extremely, and are often killed by too 

 close cutting. The roots got strong and vigorous during 

 the fall, made a good math for protection during the win 

 ter, and started early this spring. 



As advised at present, I should put manure upon any 

 level piece of land, whenever I happened to have it. I 

 think it will pay better interest on the meadow than in the 

 yard, and accordingly I shall clean up this month, and 

 spread every spare load I have upon the meadows. Cut 

 ting a tun of hay to the acre don t liquidate, when you 

 can get three, just as easy, with more manure. Things 

 are looking up, notwithstanding the war. Breastworks 

 will be plenty. 



Yours to command, 



TIMOTHY BUNKER, ESQ. 



Hookertown, Sept. 15th, 1861. 



