MANURK ON DAIKY-K.V KMS 1(>7 



100 lbs. of nitro!,'tu, Wf have- 80 lbs. left in the iiiaiiurr. \N> 

 want lo dcvil<)|K- 100 liis. of nitrogen iu the soil, to i-nablr us 

 to raisL- u gooii irop to slurt with, and when this is once done, an 

 annual di'Vi'lopinent of I't lbs. jkt am- in adilition to llif manure, 

 WDuld keep up the produetivenet-s of the soil. Is it not worth 

 while, therefore, to make an earnest etlort to f;el started? — to get 

 100 Ib.s. of nitr )gen in the most available eonditictn in the soil? 



As I said before, this is praetieally all that is needeil to give us 

 large crops. This amount of nitrogen repre.-enls about twelve tons 

 of average bani-\ard manure — that is lo sjiy, twelve tons ctnitains 

 100 Ib.s. of nitrogen. But in iwiinl of fa<t it is not in an imme- 

 diately availaitle condition. It would probably take at least two 

 years before all the nitrogen it eontuins would be given up to the 

 plants. We want, therefore, in order to give us a good start, 

 24 tons of bani-yard manure on every acre- of land. How to 

 get this is the great prol)lem which our young dairy farmer has to 

 solve. In the grain-growim:: districts we get it in i)art by summer- 

 fallowing, and I believe the dairyman miirht often do the same 

 thing with advantage. A thorough summer-fallow would ii(»t 

 only (lean the laml, but would render some of (he latent i)lant- 

 footl available. This will be organized in the next crop, and when 

 the dair}'man has once got the plant-lood, he has deeidedlj' the 

 advantage over the grain-growing farmer in his ability to retain it. 

 lie need not lose over 16 i>er cent a year of nitrogen, and not one 

 ]^e^ cent "f the ether eleiuenta of jiiiut-fi^Kl. 



The land lying on the borders of the creek could be greatly 

 benefited by cutting surface ditches t > let otf the water; and later, 

 probably it will be found that a few underdrains can be put in to 

 advantage. These alluvial soils on thi' borders of creeks and rivers 

 are grand sources of nitrogen and otli« r jdant-food. I do not know 

 the fact, but it is quite probable that the meadows which Harris 

 Lewis mows twice a year, are on the banks of the river, and are 

 perhap;? flooded in the s|)ring. But, be this as it ma}', there is a 

 fielil on the farm I am alluding to, lying on the creek, which now 

 produces a bountiful growth of weeds, rushes, and coarse gras.scs, 

 which I am sure could easily be made to produce great crops of 

 hay. Tlie creek overflows in the spring, and the water lies on 

 some of the lower parts of tlie fl<*ld until it is evaporited. A few 

 ditches would allow all the water to pass off", and this alone would 

 be a great im])rovement. If the field was flooded in May or June, 

 ami thoroughly cultivated and harrowed, the sod would be suffl 

 ciently rotted to plow again in August. Then a thorough harrow- 

 ing, rolling, and cultivating, would make it as mellow as a garden, 



