Top Dressing 



Without question, the best results are obtained from manure when it 

 is used as a top dressing after the ground has been plowed. The reasons 

 are very plain. 



Plant roots necessarily make their initial growth in the upper portion 

 of the seed-bed. A rapid and strong early growth is usually reflected 

 throughout the entire life of the plant. If the plant food is accessible 

 to the young roots, the gi'owth will be very rapid. If, on the contrary, 

 the fertilizing elements are near the bottom of the seed-bed, the early 

 benefits are not so marked. If the ground is plowed early in the fall, it 

 usually becomes compact after the first rain so that it is not difficult to 

 haul the spreader over the plowed ground. Even if the ground is frozen, 

 there is nothing lost by spreading the manure and discing it in after the 

 frost is out. 



If coarse manure is plowed under, it is apt to create large air spaces at 

 the bottom of the furrow, thereby causing an insulation which retards 

 the upward movement of capillary water. Even though manure is 

 spread before the ground is plowed, it is always advisable to disc it in 

 before plowing. By that process lumps of dirt are pulverized and the 

 substance of the manure is worked into the soil. When the furrow 

 slice is turned, the contact is compact between the bottom of the furrow 

 and the furrow slice, making capillary attraction perfect. 



It is hardly feasible, especially if the ground is very soft, to top-dress 

 spring plowing, but it is very essential if the ground is to be planted to 

 corn to disc it thoroughly after the manure is applied and before plowing 

 in order to insure equal distribution and quick fermentation. 



Manuring Growing Crops 



In some sections of the country, especially where spring wheat is the 

 principal crop, farmers do not have time to haul manure until after the 

 grain is in the ground. Again, yard manure, especially that which is in 

 large piles, remains frozen until after the wheat is planted; hence, in 

 order to secure the full benefits, the manure should be distributed on the 

 ground after the grain is sown. It is perfectly feasible to spread it either 

 before the blade has shown above the ground or after it has attained a 

 growth of one or two inches. By distributing it thinly and evenly, the 

 young roots, which are necessarily close to the surface, receive the 

 essence of fertility contained in the manure, at a time when they need it 

 most. 



Winter wheat and rye can be top-dressed either during the fall, winter 

 or early spring. If manure is applied late in the fall, it is of material 

 assistance in preventing the grain from winter-killing. The coarser 

 substance of the manure serves two purposes, namely, to prevent the 

 surface from cracking, thereby preventing the escape of moisture, and to 

 assist in absorbing rain. It also in a great measure, prevents the soil 



