1863. 



NEW EXGLAXD F.AJIMER, 



279 



to itself; that is, a cord of clear stable dung com- 

 posted with two of peat, forms a manure of equal 

 value to three cords of green dung." Although 

 Mr. Phinney is considered high authority in such 

 matters, his theory in this particular does not ac- j 

 cord with ray experience. ' 



If I am called upon to appraise a pile of ma- 

 nure, I want to know how much stock has been 

 kept, and how it has been feed ; and then, if the 

 manure has all been properly saved, I think that 

 I can judge pretty nearly of its value. 



If the size of the cellar will admit of it, the ma- 

 nure should be mixed and remain in it until it is 

 wanted for the field. If not large enough, (and 

 this ma\ be known before the ground freezes) a 

 bed of ppat or loam should be made, say six or 

 eight inches deep, and on a stiil, damp day, the 

 contents of the cellar may be carted on to it ; only 

 as much should be removed at a time o:? can con- 

 conveniently be done, and then immediately cov- 

 ered ; the loam or peat underneath will prevent 

 a loss doicmcards, and the covering will prevent 

 the gaseous or volatile properties from escaping 

 vpicards. 



Composting manure in a situation in which its 

 volatile properties escape into the air, or its liquid 

 products soak into the ground not intended for 

 vegetation, is in my opinion very slovenly and 

 wasteful. The steam or gas which is suffered to 

 escape from fermenting manure, is not only almost 

 lost to profitable vegetation, but what is still 

 worse, it fills the atmosphere with an elHuvia in- 

 jurious to health. When a distiller allows his still 

 to be put in operation without a cover to collect 

 and secure the steam, then perhaps a farmer may 

 suffer a fermentation to be going on in his dung- 

 heap without a covering. 



During warm weather, the practice among farm- 

 ers in this vicinity is to let their cattle graze in the 

 pasture during the day, and yard them overnight. 

 by this method, the manure dropped in the yard 

 is not so easily secured from loss as that made in 

 the stable. This custom is ruinous to our pasture 

 land. It is to this practice that I attribute, in a 

 great measure, the deterioration of our pastures. 



A farmer may have a good receptacle, drop his 

 manure therein, and mix suitable ingredients with 

 it ; but the state, the quauiity, the viiimm and the 

 time in which manure can most profiuhly be ap- 

 plied to the soil, are questions not so easily solvetl. 



Notwithstanding the light which scientific writ- 

 ers have thrown upon this subject, the manner in 

 which manures operate, the best methods of ap- 

 plying them, and their efficiency and durability, 

 arc still subjects of discussion among intelligent 

 farmers. Perhaps there is nothing connected with 

 farming about which practical farmers differ more, 

 than the state in which manures should be applied. 

 One author says : "A controversy has existed 

 some years relative to the degree of fermentation 

 which manure ought to undergo before it is ap- 

 plied to the soil." Some writers contend that it 

 should be used in a green, unfermented state, and 

 others that it should be used until it is so rotten and 

 fine as to be easily cut with a spade. I might fill 

 pages with extracts from distinguished agricultur- 

 ists, who differ widely on this point. But a short 

 quotation from the editor of the New England 

 Farmer, many years ago, will perhaps be sufficient. 

 He says, "the advocates for long manure, and the 

 sticlvk'rs for short mam re, are in our opinion both 



right in regard to some of the points in controver- 

 sy." I am of the same opinion, and think it de- 

 pends very much on the crops to be raised, and 

 the soil on which the manure is to be used. For 

 roots, vines and sm;ill vegetables, fine manure is 

 probably the best ; also for top-dressing dry land ; 

 but for common field crops, such as corn and po- 

 tatoes, and for top-dressing moist, heavy land, 

 green manure is probably the most profitable. 



The quantity of manure which it is profitable to 

 to use per acre is another subject of discussion. 

 Singular as it may apj>ear, I think this depends, 

 in some measure, on the price of land. If a man 

 has land enough, or can buy it at a low rate, bis 

 object should be to make the most of his labor 

 and money ; whereas if land be worth $.500 per 

 acre, he should endeavor to realize the most from 

 each acre. Some crops, however, require more 

 food to bring them to maturity than others. 



.\gain, the depth to which manure should be 

 buried is a controverted question. As the ten- 

 dency of manure is downward, I believe much 

 more is generally lost by being buried too deep, 

 than too shallow. Orcharding may be an excep- 

 tion. For tilled crops I pref>.r to have manure 

 covered, but left quite near the surface. 



Once more, the best time Tor applying manure 

 is not a settled question among farmers. I be- 

 lieve, however, the prevailing opinion is that for 

 tilled crops, manure ought to be applied immedi- 

 ately before dropping the seed, but for topdress- 

 ing grass land, opinions are various. I prefer a 

 damp lime in the month of .\ugust. The after- 

 growth will then soon cover it and prevent much 

 loss by evaporation. I will here observe, that al- 

 though I am satisfied that high cultivation is gen- 

 erally the most profitable, yet if a man has land 

 enough, I would not recommend using so much 

 manure at a time for topdressing grass land, as 

 to cause the grass to lodge in ordinary seasons ; 

 because I think that a ton of hay can be made 

 with as little expense where there is only a ton 

 and a half to the acre, as if there were more, and 

 the quaHty of the hay will be much better. 



I am happy to say tkit we have among us gen- 

 tlemen of wealth and t.isle, whose object proba- 

 bly is not profit, so much as it is health and plea- 

 sure ; and although it may not always be prudent 

 for farmers of small capital to follow their exam- 

 ple, yet I think they are an advantage to any com- 

 munity in which they live. 



If a young man of limited means intends to 

 make farming his business, he must, in ordpr to 

 get an honest living, make it profitable. It is for 

 this latter class that these remarks are chiefly in- 

 tended. 



Wh^n chnrtffrVl hunks irfise to loan, 



.\ni1 merchant* fevl depressed ; 

 Th*" f-irmer's bank if p>-at aoj muck 



Will discount then the brsL 



Poplin. — .\ London journal of fashionable in- 

 telligence thus lays down the law about poplin: 



Poplin is beginning to be wo*-:, but in the mat- 

 ter of fashion in England it will be swayed in a 

 very great measure by the Princess of \\'ale8. 

 We may without hesitation predict that silver- 

 gray poplin will be very fashionable this season. 

 It was this material the Princess wore on her en- 

 try into London, and it is historical as having been 

 ordered by her as a pleasant surprise to llcr Ma- 

 jesty, whose favorite hue it ia. 



