188 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



successfully and at a low cost ? Might it not be possible to 

 compost it in some way at a reasonable cost to better advan- 

 tage than by using lime? Sometimes we cannot get lime 

 handily, — that is, we cannot in the winter season, unless 

 we have stored it. 



Dr. Wheeler. In reply to that question, I have very 

 great doubts if in New England, at the present price of labor, 

 one can aiford to do much composting. If labor were as 

 cheap as in Europe, it might pay to compost. But I think 

 it is better to use manure on the field without composting ; 

 and I would say, in regard to stable manure for grass, I 

 believe usually the stable manure should be kept off the 

 grass ; the stable manure should be kept for the hoed crops. 

 I have been on many farms where they have top-dressed the 

 ofrass with stable manure and here and there it has been terri- 

 bly injured. 



Question. Do j^ou have good success in seeding with 

 clover in August and September with your other seed? I 

 cannot do it. 



Dr. Wheeler. We have not tried it to any extent, for 

 the reason that we do not consider it the proper time to sow 

 clover seed. The clover seed in the last instance mentioned 

 was sown with the barley in the spring. As a rule, we put 

 clover seed in the last of March or April. We like to put 

 it on the snow, so that we can know whether we get it on 

 evenly. It gets in the soil, and I never had a failure except 

 as a result of an extraordinary drought. 



Mr. Mellen. In regard to manure on clover sod and 

 turning under, I would like to know if you think you get 

 the benefit of the manure. 



Dr. Wheeler. I expect, if there has been a big, heavy 

 crop of clover, and there are lots of roots in the soil, we 

 don't get the benefit from the nitrogen, but we do from the 

 other elements. There might be more nitrogen than Indian 

 corn would need. There were only 4 cords used to the acre, 

 while ordinarily I think farmers use 7 or 8 cords to the acre ; 

 they are not over-generous. Am I mistaken ? Market gar- 

 deners use unlimited amounts. There might not be too 

 nmch for crops maturing more quickly than the Indian corn. 



