176 Transactions of the American Institute. 



Mr. Solon Robinson opposed applying manure in the hill, as he 

 thought manure two feet away from the hill would promote the 

 growth of the corn more than if it were nearer the hills. 



Mr. N. C. Meeker. — It seems to me a very bad practice. As I 

 said before, if in connection with broadcast manuring it will do well, 

 because the corn will get an early start, and late in the season the 

 growth will be kept up. But where manming in the hill is 

 dejDended upon, the lateral roots receive a check when they reach 

 poor ground, and the manure does as much harm as good, particu- 

 larly on poor land, though on rich land the case will be different, 

 for it will be equal to manuring broadcast. For the same reason 

 it is a very bad practice to manure fruit trees immediately around 

 the roots; many trees receive great damage by coming in contact 

 ■with manure. Nor does it do any good to manure growing trees 

 at the trunk, but when spread over the ground so that the distant 

 fibrous and feeding roots can reach it, the advantages are great. 



Mr. Edward Hicks stated that he has made some experiments 

 with applying manure in the hill and also broadcast, and thus far 

 he had not been able to perceive any difference in the yield of grain 

 to favor either practice. He said it cost the most to manure in the 

 hill, and he obtained no more grain in consequence of that practice. 



Mr. P. T. Quinn. — For many years we have experimented with 

 great care on the application of manure in different ways, and the 

 result of our experience is to spread our coarse manure broadcast, 

 and to apply special manures, such as guano, bone dust, and the 

 phosphates in the hill. In the latter part of the season, when the 

 ripening and seed maturing process takes place, the broadcast 

 manure most materially adds to the perfection of the crop. 



Mr. Solon Eobinson. — There is no doubt but this is the true 

 method, and science will not get much ahead of it. 



Mr. W. P. Peck stated that in certain sections of New York they 

 cannot raise a crop of Indian corn without manuring in the hill, 

 on account of the shortness of the growing season. Yet, by apply- 

 ing a little fertilizing matter in the hill, it promoted the rapid 

 growth of the plants when they were young, and the roots are 

 sure to take up a much larger proportion of the manure than they 

 can reach when the manure is spread broadcast. 



Mr. N. E. Pai-kill, Wayb ridge, Addison county, Vt. — It has been 

 the universal custom in this vicinity to manure corn in the hill. 

 My experiment was tried upon two acres of sandy loam, with a 

 clay subsoil. It had been in potatoes the year previous, and was 



