10 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



crop should be as much iavored as possible by ihe 

 dispensation of the prepared and collected manures 

 of the iiirm — and yet not by their direct arid full 

 application to that crop. 



Tiiis branch ol'ihe suhjpct will require some ex- 

 piaiiaiory views, which 1 shall proceed now to olier. 

 When (arm-yard or other hiylily piiirescent ma- 

 nures, ready lo act as Ibod lor plants, are applied 

 to any crop, their main operation is to increase the 

 stalk and lealj or root, of ihe crop, much more in 

 proportion than its seeds. It is therefore proper to 

 let such rich manures tjive out their greatest sup- 

 ply of food to crops which are cultivated for their 

 stalks and leaves, as clover, and green crops in 

 general — or for their roots, as potatoes, turnips, 

 &c. rather than for corn or wheat, of which the 

 disproportioned increase of stalk and leal'is scarcely 

 any benefit, and may be to the injury and loss of 

 the grain. The great apparent increase in grain 

 crops on spots made rank by heavy and recent 

 manuring, is always deceptions. The far greater 

 part of the increase is in the stalks and leaves ; 

 and the smaller early promise of grain is frequently 

 cut off by the wheat being lodged, and the grain 

 shrivelled ; and the place of corn ears being occu- 

 pied by the black fungus, which is the certain ef- 

 fect of a too luxuriant growth. Therefore, as far 

 as convenient, the vegetable and animal manure 

 of a fiirm should be given to the green crops in 

 preference to the grain crops; and when of ne- 

 cessity laid on the latter, they should be so given 

 as that their greater value is reserved for a suc- 

 ceeding green crop. Though the amount and 

 value of liirm-yard manure on clover (for exam- 

 ple,) are greatly increased by its being: thus con- 

 verted to clover-manure f^r wheat, still its action 

 is made more gentle, and it does not produce an 

 undue proportion of straw in the following wheat 

 crop. 



With this view, and also for economy of labor, 

 and a belief of greater effect in general, my favor- 

 ite practice of applying uniotted barn-yard ma- 

 nures, as well as the better decomposed, has been 

 as a top-dressing on clover, in the early part of its 

 year of best growth, (or year alter being sown.) 

 There need be no fear of waste from evaporation, 

 or exposure, if the manure is spread thinly and 

 evenly, as fast as carried out. The first rain car- 

 ries all the soluble parts of the manure to the roots 

 of the clover, and of course the enriching action ia 

 immediate. The growth soon covers and shades 

 tlie solid and unrolted par!s, and thereby hastens 

 their bcoming decomposed and soluble, and their 

 consequent descent into the soil, and servinij as 

 food to the clover. If used lor grazing tor hotrs, 

 (after beginning to blossotn,) or if mown, the pro- 

 fit of the manuring is partly reaped in a li;vv weeks. 

 If all the growth be plou<rhed under, the next crop 

 of wheat has the benefit of the larm-yard manure 

 in its increased product of green manure, and in 

 that state is received so gradually, as lo do no harm 

 by causing disproportioned luxuriance of stalk. 



If coarse manure be given to corn, whether 

 plouijhed under deeply or as lop-dressinir, the 

 greater part of Ihe value remains, nndecomposed, 

 lor the wheat, and part even f()r the green crop 

 following ; and corn, bein^» a gross feeder, is less 

 likely to be hurl by the coar.-e manure. 



The more of the land put in turnips the 5th 

 year, so much the better lor the succeeding crop oi 

 corn, which ought to have as much aid as possible. 



If unrolled leaves be used largely, as top-dress- 

 ing for wheat only, in winter, ihey will protect the 

 wheat from cold, and the clover from sun, and 

 give scarcely any aliment to the first, but more to 

 Ihe second, and perhaps still more to the next suc- 

 ceedmg crop. 



On eiilier plan of rotation, the manures should 

 be so applied as to give, as liar as may be, their 

 first efiects to the green and root crops ; of next 

 choice, to the corn, and last of all, to the wheat. 



E. R. 



ON LIMING LAND. 



From tlie Lexington Gazette. 



Dear Sir : — Your letter has been received, as- 

 king my " experience in relation to the application 

 of lime to land, for the improvement of the soil;" 

 and as far as that experience goes, you are wel- 

 come to it. 



In my different tours through Pennsylvania and 

 New York, upwards of five and twenty years 

 since, my attention was forcibly attracted by the 

 lime heaps, and the whitened appearance of the. 

 fields, where it had been spread ; and the result of 

 my inquiries as to its effect on their crops, predis- 

 posed me so strongly in its fiivor, that I determined 

 to adopt the use of it the first favorable opportuni- 

 ty. This occurred in the year 1824 or 5, when 1 

 first came in possession of a farm near tfie Natural 

 Bridge, now in the occupancy of Thos. Wilson, 

 esq. A lime kiln, containing by rough estimate 

 1,000 bushels, was sold to the highest l)idder some 

 time in the spring, and as soon as I purchased, I 

 had it all hauled and deposited in one great pile, 

 in the field in wliich 1 designed using it. This 

 field, I had previously set in clover, but having 

 preserved no memorandum, I am unable now to 

 say whether this was spread the succeeding fall 

 and turned in with ihe clover, or reserved for corn 

 the following spring. This fact, however, made a 

 strong impression on me, that where large mas- 

 ses of the rock lime had rolled down 10 or 15 feet 

 from the pile, and there slaked on the clover, that 

 so far from being burnt up and destroyed, as I 

 anticipated, this presented by far the most vigorous 

 and luxuriant appearance. I recollected, too, 

 this was one of Ihe poorest fields on the farm when 

 I took possession — was thickly set with running 

 briers, and nuich disposed to freeze out and the 

 soil to run toirether during thn winter. The lim- 

 inij corrected both evils; which, in addition to the 

 highly beneficial efit^cis oflime in the hands of my 

 worthy neighbor, David Greenlee, induced me to 

 continue its use, lliough, li-om necessity, mote spa- 

 rinuly than I could wish. How far the heavy 

 crops subsequently made by that most excellent 

 farmer, Mr. Wilson, has been the result of his con- 

 stant application of manure, and very judicious 

 manairement, or to the previous applications of 

 lime, [ am at a loss to determine. I am, however, 

 willing to ascribe them to both, knowing the per- 

 manent good effect oflime, and believing it essen- 

 tial il should be fillowed by Ihe use of putrescent 

 manures I doubt not, indeed, injury instead of 

 benefit, may, in some instances be the result, 

 unless the use of liuie and putrescent manures (or 

 vegetable matter in some form) go hand in hand. 

 But, in reply to your first interrogatory — the 

 " Mode of preparing lime." 



