VOI.. XII. NO. 4f?. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



349 



MANURE. 



On llie relative advantages of applying manure 

 to the soil in a fermented or unfermented state, a 

 contrariety of opinions continues to exist among 

 farmers. The following extract from tlie " Re- 

 ports of Select Farms," contains much good sense, 

 and will pay for a careful perusal. It forms part 

 of the report from Kyle in Ayrshire: 



"Manure. — Of this the only source here is the 

 farm-yard, and considering its value and how much 

 its value depends on its treatment, it docs not mi 

 receive all the attention it deserves. On a farm of 

 this extent, on which there has never been in one 

 year above three acres of turnips and four-of pota- 

 toes, it is perhaps a good deal to have manured 

 eighteen acres in a season, from the farm-yard and 

 the servants' cottages, and yet there is no doubt a 

 great deal more might have been accomplished, as 

 respects both quantity and quality. If exposed to 

 rain, the most soluble and richest parts are carried 

 oft". Observe the luxuriant vegetation wherever 

 the dark liquor from the dunghill touches, and the 

 loss may be estimated. If allowed to come into a 

 strong heat, its substance may be seen passing into 

 the air. The only part of it that requires rotting 

 and fermentation to render it soluble and fit to be- 

 come food for the roots of plants, is the woody 

 fibre vegetables; the closer, however, and more 

 confined the manner in which this process goes 

 "on, there will he the less loss. Some practical 

 farmers have advocated the use of dung in its more 

 recent state ; others have said it should not be used 

 till well rotted. But if in the process of rotting it 

 probably undergoes waste, the place in which it 

 must with must advantage be rotted, is under the 

 soil of the field. There is then no loss that can he 

 avoided. The fallacy in this controversy arises, it 

 is suspected, from not adverting to the circum- 

 stance that equal bulks of recent and of rotted 

 dung contain very different quantities of the food 

 of plants. In the latter it is more concentrated, 

 and in a state fitter to be immediately consumed 

 by their roots. But the correct way of stating the 

 question is this : having a given quantity of recent 

 dung to apply to a given extent of land, is it not 

 better to plough it down in its recent state, than 

 previously to allow it to ferment and rot in heaps? 

 In the first case there is no loss: the decomposi 

 tion goes cni as slowly as possible, and all the ele- 

 ments of the substances of which it is composed 

 are retained in the soil as they are set free. In 

 the second, the decomposition is rapid, and a much 

 larger proportion of matter will be found to have 

 flown oft" than could easily have been imagined. 

 Any person, without the aid of knowledge of chem- 

 ical principles, may satisfy himself on the point by 

 an easy experiment. Take two acres of ground of 

 equal quality ; take twenty tons of recent dung, 

 which apply to one of them ; take twenty tons of 

 the same clung and put it up in heaps till it be- 

 comes a black. solid mass, and then apply it to the 

 other acre; balance the produce of the one against 

 the produce of the other, at the end of the fourth 

 year, and if the experiment be well conducted the 

 result ought to be satisfactory. A knowledge of 

 chemical principles leads to the inference that 

 dung ought to he used in its recent state, and any 

 disappointment which in practice may have attend- 

 ed the adoption of this inference will be found to 

 have arisen not from a defect in the theory hut 

 from a want of due observation of circumstances 

 in its application. If immediate effect be abso- 

 lutely requisite, as in raising turnips, then rotted 



dung must be used, but care should be taken in 

 preparing it to prevent its heat from rising high 

 or any of it from escaping, either in a liquid or in 

 a gaseous state. This is best accomplished bj 

 compression and by covering well up with earth." 



SOWING GRASS SEED. 



This is a very important operation, with farmers, 

 during the Spring months. Much difference ol 

 ipinion prevails, with regard to this, as to lime, 

 piantity of seed and manner of sowing it. 



As to the time for sowing most fanners prefer 

 sowing grass seed, when the ground is covered 

 with snow, during the month of March. The only 

 advantage to be derived from the circumstance ol 

 the ground being covered with snow, is, that the 

 person sowing the seed, can see his own tracks, by 

 which he is saved the trouble of setting stakes. 

 The quantity of seed per acre can only he regulated 

 by circumstances, as it is generally allowed thai 

 light poor soils require more than strong rich 

 soils. Most farmers sow their seed without mix- 

 ing it with fine dry sand. We have lately read 

 the description of a machine fur sowing grass seed 

 which we presume was a yankee invention. This 

 machine consisted of a small pair of wheels and 

 axle, six or eight feet long, more or less. The 

 axle passed through the centre of a cylinder which 

 was punched /nil of holes at regular distances. 

 The grass seed to be sown was first to be mixed 

 with dry sand and put in that cylinder, and the 

 carriage drawn across the field backward and for- 

 ward, by which the seed would be equally distrib- 

 uted over the whole surface. But in whatever 

 manner grass seed is sown it is important that the 

 ground should be rolled after it is sown, which 

 will render the surface more compact, and prevent 

 young plants from becoming dried by the sun and 

 air; it also prepares the surface for any after ope- 

 ration. When the surface is smooth more hay can 

 be cut, than where it is rough, and every farmer 

 knows that an even surface is better for ploughing 

 than a rough one. — GoodseWs Farmer. 



From GoodpelVs Genesee Farmer. 

 CLOVER AND WHEAT. 



Among all the modern improvements in Agricul- 

 ture, none are of greater importance, than the 

 substitution of a rotation of crops, in place of ma- 

 nure. By a proper attention to this, land may 

 not only be prevented from becoming poor, but 

 may be increased in fertility. For this purpose 

 there has not as yet, been any crop discovered 

 so generally approved of in this section as clover, 

 or at least none that is so well calculated to im- 

 prove our lands and prepare them for the leading 

 crop, wheat, which under proper management 

 will in all probability continue to be the staple ar- 

 ticle of western New York. 



Barn yard manure has always been considered 

 valuable by every well informed agriculturist, and 

 there are many crops to which it can he applied 

 to advantage. The crops to which manure 

 from the yard or compost heap, are applied to 

 best advantage are of small consideration when 

 compared to our crops of wheat. Manure mighl 

 also be applied to those lands intended for wheal, 

 but where farmers sow from liliy to two hundred 

 acres, the small (piantity collected in yards and 

 compost heaps, would do hut little towards pre- 

 paring or keeping farms from becoming impover- 

 ished. Even allowing that a sufficient quantity of 

 barn yard manure could be collected by every far- 



mer for bis wheat fields, it could not be applied at 

 the same expense, with which fields are now 

 renovated by means of clover, and a proper rota- 

 tion of crops. 



That a rotation of crops is absolutely necessary 

 upon most lauds, every experienced farmer will 

 readily admit. It is a well established principle, 

 that each plant requires a particular kind of food, 

 and by continuing the same plant upon grounds 

 for many years that particular food becomes ex- 

 hausted, but by introducing a crop which requires 

 a different kind of food, the former, or that ex- 

 hausted by other crops is allowed to accumulate, 

 the crops requiring the same food may in some 

 instances be allowed to succeed each other, by in- 

 troducing the one less valuable and allowing that 

 to decompose upon the soil to furnish food to the 

 more valuable one. This is the case when clo- 

 ver is used to prepare the ground for wheat. 



By analysis it is found that both clover and 

 wheat contain a small quantity of lime, and of 

 course soils which do not contain this naturally', 

 must be supplied with it artificially, before these 

 crops may be grown to advantage. Lime requires 

 also to be in different conditions, in order to be 

 taken up by different plants. Experience has de- 

 monstrated that when the sulphate of" lime, or 

 plaster of Paris is applied to soils, that it increases 

 the growth of clover, and that when clover grown 

 upon the soil is mixed, either by ploughing in 

 the whole crop, or by turning under clover stubble ; 

 that it prepares such soils for producing wheat in 

 greater perfection than when manure is applied 

 from the yard. 



It has been by pursuing this course of tillage, or 

 rotation of crops, that many lauds in western New 

 York, which by nature were thin, light soils, and 

 which did not when first cultivated produce more 

 than fifteen bushels of wheat per acre, have been 

 made to produce from thirty to forty bushels. — 

 How long the fertility of lands thus managed will 

 continue to increase is unknown, but thus far our 

 fields which have been cultivated the greatest 

 length of time, where attention has been paid to 

 rotation produce not only the greatest quantity 

 but the best quality of wheat. 



Where fields are clear from stumps and stones so 

 that they can be ploughed deep and regular, and 

 where proper attention has been paid to seeding 

 with Timothy and Clover, many prefer turning 

 clover either in crop or stubble under, and allow- 

 ing it to remain, working the soil lightly with drags 

 and rollers. In this way it is thought the greatest 

 advantage by the preparatory crop is realized. 



ANGLO-ITALIAN PIG TREE. 



Among the time-worn ruins of the ancient castle 

 of Reculver, in the island of Thanet, which forms 

 part of the county of Kent, an ancient fig-tree 

 stretches forth its venerable arms to the breeze, 

 Mid attracts the attention of the visiter, not more 

 by the venerable aspect it presents, than the his- 

 torical records with which it is connected. This 

 tree, according to the traditions of the neighbor- 

 hood, claims Italy for the soil of its nativity, and 

 Roman hands for its first planters; its age conse- 

 quently cannot he less than from 1345 to 1888 

 years, the Romans having first landed at Deal in 

 the summer of the 55ih year before the birth of 

 our Saviour, 1S88 years ago ; and having finally 

 quitied Britain in the year of our Lord 448, or 

 1315 years ago. 



