What cuors sitoii.n Mwi ui: luc aii'mki* to, 2G0 



auil miviiii; Uicin will Idfji-llior. Another way for llic perfect ilif- 

 fusion of till' luanure unionir tiic parlii les of earth, is, to spnad 

 the inaiiure in aiituimi, so thal-jill the raius of this season may dis- 

 solve the soluble portions and carry them down among the parti- 

 cles, where they are absorbeil and retained for the irrowin-j eroj). 



"In experiments," continues Mr. Thomas, *' when the manure 

 fur corn was thus applied in autumn, has afforded a yield of about 

 70 bushels i>er acre, when the same amount applied in spring, gave 

 only 50 bushels. A thin coating of manure applied to winter- 

 wheat at the time of sowing, and was harrowed in, has increased 

 the crop from 7 to 10 bushels per acre — and in addition to this, by 

 the stmnirer growth it lia.-< caused, as well as by the |irotection it 

 has atforded to the surface, it lias not unfrequently saved the crop 

 from parti.d or total wint«'r-kiHing. 



" In case; wher^ it is necessary to apply coarse manure? at once, 

 much may be done in lessening the evils of coarseness by artificially 

 grinding it into the soil. The instrument called the drag-roller — 

 which is like the common roller set stiff so as not to revolve — has 

 been used to great advantage for this purpose, by passing it over 

 the surface in connection with the Inrrow. We have known this 

 treatment to effect a tiiorough intermixture, and to more than 

 doul)le tiie crop obtained by common management with common 

 manure." 



TOP-DRESSING WITH MANURE. 



The term " top-dressing" usually refers to sowing or spreading 

 manures on the growing crop. For instance, we top-dress pastures 

 or meadows by spreading manure o:i the surface. If we sow ni- 

 trite of s«)da, or guano, «m our winter-wheat in the spring, that 

 would be top-dressing. We often sow gypsum on clover, and on 

 barley, and peas, while the plants are growing in the spring, and 

 this is toi>-dressing. 



" If the cypsum was sown broadcast on tlio land before sowing 

 the seed," said the Deacon," would not that be top-dressing also?" 



Strictly speaking, I suppose that would not be top-dressing. 



Top dressing in the sense in which I understand the term, is 

 scMom adopted, except on meadows and pastures as a regular sys- 

 tem. It is an after-thought. We have sown wheat on a poor, 

 sandy knoll, and we draw out some manure and spread on it in the 

 winter or early spring; or we top-dress it with hen-manure, or 

 guano, or nitrate of soda and superphosphate. I do not say that 

 this is better than to apply the manure at the time of sowing the 



