PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS* CLUB. 403 



nial. Mr. Carpenter says that digging the manure into the soil 

 deeply causes the roots to penetrate deeply, and this is the cause 

 of many of our trees making a late growth in the fall. This 

 ma}'' be the cause of late growth, but from our observations, we 

 conclude that in most cases it is caused by surface roots spring- 

 ing out late in summer, induced by the manure being too near 

 the surface ; and, of course, these roots are the most active at 

 the very time when the tree should be ripening its wood and 

 roots preparatory for the winter. This is one of the reasons 

 why we disapprove of applying any coarse manure to the surface 

 of an orchard or vineyard. Another is, we do not like to furnish 

 a protection to all those noxious insects that infest the orchard 

 or garden, and seek the earth for a habitation in winter. 



Volatile manures should always be applied with an absorbent, 

 or be immediately put under the surface. In those manures 

 generally termed ammoniacal, such as guano, &c., the value lies 

 more in some other ingredients than it does in the volatile am- 

 monia. 



Those who have made a practice of composting their manures 

 have learned the difference in value between fresh fermenting 

 manures and those that have become concentrated and non-vola- 

 tile. On retentive soils manure may be applied months before 

 the crop requires it for use, without its losing much of its value. 

 But it is generally best to apply it for annual crops only a short 

 time before planting. Lime, ashes, plaster, salt, &c., of course, 

 we would apply on the surface, for the first shower would carry 

 them down to the roots. The application of manures in a con- 

 centrated form is very beneficial in some cases, and we think 

 would be found very valuable in fruit culture if the orchardist 

 would learn how and when to apply them. 



We do not believe in any universal manure, but we do believe 

 that barn-yard manure is as near it as any we can get ; yet we 

 have known many cases where it has failed entirely to bring 

 about the desired results — such as growth, fruit, &c., — and yet 

 by a free application of some one of the simple elements con- 

 tained in it an entirely different result was produced. This only 

 shows that there are some plants that require manure in different 

 proportions than they get from barn-yard manure. For instance, 

 we know of a man who had a large number of quince trees 

 which fruited for a few years after being planted, and grew finely 

 at the same time. The manure from the horse stable was given 



