378 PRACTICAL OPINIONS. 



earth with the plough. But the use of stable manure 

 should be confined mostly to mowing land. On closely- 

 fed pastures it would be injudicious, from its exposure 

 to the sun. On these, ashes or plaster would be better. 



One experienced farmer, in answer to the circular on 

 a preceding page, says : " Peruvian guano, mixed with 

 loam, is unquestionably the best manure for top-dress- 

 ing that can be found. Ashes are very good for lands 

 that are liable to be washed by the fall and early spring 

 rains. I should think that the spring would be the best 

 time to spread it ; but on lands not so situated the fall 

 would be more proper. In the latter case, the manure 

 would be entirely mixed in around the roots of the 

 grass, and all the strength of the manure would remain 

 in the ground." 



Another experienced and intelligent practical farmer 

 writes me : "I top-dress moist mowing lands in winter 

 or early spring, with eight or ten loads of fine manure, 

 or with about three hundred pounds of guano, mixing 

 the guano with twice its bulk of dry sand, moistened 

 with water, containing about two ounces of sulphuric 

 acid in solution to the gallon of water." 



No farm should be managed without a compost heap, 

 since it may be so made as to form an extremely 

 valuable article for top-dressing. A quantity of meadow 

 mud should be dug out in the autumn for this special 

 purpose, where it is practicable. Two cords of peat 

 mud, added to one cord of good stable manure, will 

 make, in the estimation of many practical farmers, a 

 compost of three cords of valuable manure. This has 

 been tried repeatedly, and is constantly done by those 

 ambitious to excel in farming. To this compost heap 

 should be added, from time to time, all the animal and 

 vegetable matter adapted to ferment and enrich the soil. 

 Woollen rags, the remains of fish, the blood and flesh 



