The Application of the Mdiiure of the Farm. 333 
upon stiff land. Tluce modes of applying faimjaid manure are 
in use : — 
1st. Tliat of ridging the land, spreading tlie dung between the 
(h-ills, and splitting the ridges in the autumn. 
2nd. That of ridging the land in autumn, hut delaying the 
application of manure till spring. 
3rd. That of laying on the manure in the autumn, and either 
covering it by a deep ploughing, or by working it into the soil 
by the steam-power cultivators. 
It may be urged, on behalf of the first method, that as an early 
sowing of the seed is important, and the difficulties of spring- 
tillage on a retentive soil in a wet season are considerable, 
nothing should be postponed until the spring except the actual 
sowing of the seed. On behalf of the second method, we may 
remark that the many demands on the stock of manure in the 
autumn, and the convenience of doing the carting to distant 
fields during the winter frosts, will frequently render its adoption 
desirable. The ad\ ocates of deep cultivation who are fortunate 
enough to have a grateful subsoil will generally adopt the third 
method, with perhaps as much eye to the permanent improve- 
ment of the soil as the immediate benefit of the root-crop. This 
method has the further advantage of effecting a more equal distri- 
bution of the manure throughout the soil, and in this respect we 
avoid an important defect of the ridge system ; for although by 
ploughing or cultivating across the ridges when the land is 
prepared for the succeeding crop, we may then obviate much of 
the future evil, still it should be more generally known that the 
quality and weight of the root-crop itself are often prejudicially 
influenced by the manure being retained within such narrow 
limits. 
Swedes and Turnips. — The farmyard-manure used for these 
crops lias very generally been applied to the land just before the 
last ploughing in spring ; but we have many modern instances 
where on strong soils an effort has been made to give the soil 
the benefit of an early admixture of long manure. In such case, 
the stubble having been cleaned during the autumn receives its 
allowance of dung before it is ploughed-up for the winter. This 
practice has been found to succeed so well that its extension is 
rapid upon stiff soils. Amongst the advantages which result are, 
the security of the manure from loss by bad management and 
the faA'ourable action exerted upon the land — points to which we 
liave already referred. To these we may add others which are 
of great importance. We have every reason to believe that, in 
proportion as we expose our soils — and clay soils more especially 
— to the action of the air and changes of temperature, in the 
same degree do we thereby develop their properties and bring 
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