FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 227 



the atmosphere, and of producing its crops with compara- 

 tively little labor and expense/ 

 See further, EARTHS. 



When manures of the common kinds are to be applied, 

 let them be laid on pretty plentifully, and generally for that 

 crop which needs them most. They should be applied 

 evenly to the soil. It is but too common to see dung scat- 

 tered thickly round where the heaps were laid in carting 

 out; while the ground farther off has little or none; but this 

 is miserable management. All kinds of dung, in composts 

 or otherwise, should be mixed with the soil as soon after 

 carting out as possible, as they loose much by drying and 

 evaporation. 



It should, however, be remembered, that soils may be 

 overcharged with composts, or with raw barn dung, Too 

 much even of composts in a sandy soil tends to overheat it, 

 and thus lessen instead of increasing its moisture; and too 

 much in clays tends to produce too rank a growth. Raw 

 barn-dung may, however, be buried plentifully in clays, 

 where its fermentation will be so slow as not to produce 

 too great a degree of fertility. In sand, however, it is 

 otherwise. Composts, or even raw barn-dung, is much 

 more efficacious to the growing plants, when laid in the 

 drills where they are planted, than when mixed generally 

 with the soil; but as this requires much more labor and 

 expense, and as the ground becomes hardened by carting 

 on the manure, it is doubtful whether much is, in general f 

 gained by the practice. 



MAPLE (Acer.) There are nine sorts of this tree, 

 enumerated by Botanists, in this Country ; the most valua- 

 ble of which is the sugar-maple ; of which kind only some- 

 thing shall be said. 



Where the Farmer wishes to save his sugar-maple-trees, 

 he ought not to tap them in the common way; but, instead 

 of this, bore a hole two or three inches into the tree, out 

 of which the sap can be drawn ; and let it be pluged up 

 after the sap has done runing. 



The method of making the sugar is too well known to 

 need any minute description. It would be often well, how- 

 ever, if those who make this sugar, were to observe more 

 cleanliness, in regard to the vessels in which the sap is 

 gathered. Old troughs, which have lain for years exposed 

 to the weather, are not very proper receptacles for the sap, 

 if regard be had to the cleanliness of the sugar, and of 

 course to its value. Some make use of vessels made in 

 the form of pails, which they keep for the purpose, and this 

 is certainly at least more cleanly. The vessels can be laid 



