192 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Dr. Woods. That would depend altogether on how fast 

 the fermentation went on. The rain will come down, and 

 part of it will be lost in the surface drainage. If it is on 

 land that is open and not frozen, it will go down in, and 

 if it doesn't go too deep it is there ready for the growing 

 plants. Nitrogen is very elusive, and under some conditions 

 I would not like to have the manure on the ground or on the 

 snow. Then, on the other hand, it sometimes is cheaper for 

 a man to waste nitrogen than it is to waste labor. 



Question. You seem to convey the idea that we lose 

 about all the nitrogen if we fall-dress on grass land. 



Dr. Woods. Oh, no, sir; I wouldn't want to give that 

 idea at all, because we usually get it onto our grass lands 

 before the ground freezes ; or we may get it on so late that 

 it freezes right up and lies there perfectly dormant until 

 spring, when the frost comes out. It doesn't all get away, 

 by any means. 



Question. I gather you would recommend using about 

 150 pounds of nitrate to the acre? 



Dr. Woods. On ordinary grass lands. If you had a 

 large amount of clover, you would have to decide whether 

 you wanted to develop your clover ; and if you wanted to 

 get free nitrogen from the air, you shouldn't use very 

 much nitrate. With the grasses I think nitrate will pay 

 every time. 



Mr. Pratt. I put my top-dressing on Avith the manure 

 spreader, and on one field which I top-dressed I had very 

 ofood results. The manure was the same, taken from the 

 same stable. On the other field, I don't know why, but I 

 got no larger crop than I did the year before, and it seemed 

 to me that I lost my dressing entirelv. One piece Avas 

 lower than the other. The lower piece of ground gave me 

 the best results. Is there any estimate how much we lose 

 by top-dressing, instead of })utting it onto the soil and work- 

 ing it in? 



Dr. Woods. No, sir ; I don't know that there are atiy 

 definite figures for that. 



Mr. J. F. Burt (of Easthampton ) . When I was a young 

 man I thought I knew all about the manure question ; and 



