1890.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 69 



Mr. Rowley. I am one hundred and fifty miles from the 

 sea-shore, and I wish to corroborate what Mr. Hersey has 

 said in regard to spreading manure in the autumn, having 

 had long experience both in spreading it in the autumn and 

 in the spring. There is a very decided advantage in spread- 

 ing manure in the autumn rather than in the spring, espe- 

 cially for the corn crop. The corn starts earlier and matures 

 earlier ; it seems to keep ahead the whole season. The land 

 is lighter, does not get packed down as hard. I believe it 

 is a matter of economy to take the manure out of the stable 

 as fast as made, and spread it at all times of the year and 

 let it remain on the land. I practice it through the winter. 

 I would not put it on a side-hill, especially if the ground 

 was frozen. I am hauling it out now, when the ground is 

 not frozen, and I have never met with any loss, that I am 

 aware of, by so doing. 



Mr. Edson. I would like to say a few words in regard 

 to that. In my practice I cart out all my dressing and 

 put it on the land in the fall. I have practiced the other 

 method, but I am fully satisfied that that is the best plan. 

 If you haul out your manure in the fall and winter and put 

 it on the g-round, it o-oes into the sod and is readv for the 

 corn when you reverse the sod. The liquid parts of the 

 manure soak into the sod, and 3^ou get an early start of 

 grass. Let it be until the 20th of May, or as late as you 

 can, before you plough it, and then when you plough the 

 sod under you have a crop of grass, which is a good fer- 

 tilizer in itself. I find that corn planted under such circum- 

 stances comes up with a very good color, grows right up 

 quick ; and, no matter how dry the season may be, there 

 will not be a leaf of that corn that will roll. That green 

 mass lying at the bottom supplies moisture and keeps the 

 corn green. Then in the fall (I always plough up two years 

 in succession) I sow a bushel of rye to the acre, and put on 

 the manure again. By the 20th of May the rye will be 

 headed out, and I will have all that I can turn under with 

 the plough. By doing that I get two heavy crops, and 

 leave my land in a great deal better shape than it was 

 before for grass. I find that is the most successful Avay of 

 raising corn. I have been experimenting for five years now 



