MAKING MANURE.-ASPARAGUS.-WESTERN CALENDAR FOR MARCH. 
MAKING MANURE. 
Many important suggestions have recently been 
made in regard to the management of farms ; this all 
indicates improvement, or at least, a desire for im¬ 
provement. In this general strife to excel, I perceive 
the farmer sometimes overlooks important realities, 
and grasps at profits that are imaginary. 
Within the past year much attention has been given 
to the subject of manure. Many schemes have been 
tried to produce the largest quantity of the best quality 
at the least expense. No doubt some of these experi¬ 
ments have resulted favorably, and will prove ultimate¬ 
ly of vast importance to the community, while others 
have proved an entire failure. Now my motto is, “ a 
penny saved is as good as a penny earned.” By a 
little care, much of this indispensable article may be 
saved, that on many farms through neglect is suffered 
to be lost. All farmers do not avail themselves of 
the advantages they have for making and saving 
manure. The barn-yard is the grand repository for 
manure, and when the farmer improves all the ad¬ 
vantages to be derived from this source, it is certainly 
advisable to adopt other means to enlarge and im¬ 
prove his manure heap. Observation teaches me that 
it is impossible to estimate the exact loss of that man 
who pays no regard to the overflowings of his barn¬ 
yard. Often have l seen the yard well filled with 
litter for the comfort of cattle. This is commenda¬ 
ble, for it serves another important purpose, by in¬ 
creasing the quantity of manure. This seems to 
satisfy, so far as concerns yard manure. Apparently 
no loss is apprehended from the freshets and thaws 
of the spring rains. 
This is the great mistake ; the yard overflows, and 
away goes the richest part of the manure to fertilize— 
erhaps, a bog swamp, or may be some public road, 
am sustained in the assertion that the most valuable 
part of the manure is thus lost, by the fact that the 
liquid manures are the strongest, and that they unite 
and pass off with the surplus*water. Thus the whole 
mass of straw, &c., becomes drenched, and a great 
part of the sediment goes to enrich, perhaps the 
ocean. The manures are thus robbed of their alka¬ 
lies and salts. The remainder is probably not worth 
half as much now as before the overflowing took 
place. 
To remedy this evil, 1 would suggest the propriety 
of preparing a reservoir contiguous to the lower part 
of the yard, sufficiently large to retain the overflow¬ 
ing. Puddle the reservoir with clay, or prepare it in 
some other way to prevent absorption. The water 
and sediment thus secured, possess all the properties 
of manure. When the weather will permit, return 
the water from the reservoir to the yard, water the 
whole mass of straw, &c., which by this time has 
become somewhat dry, and will readily absorb the 
liquid of wmcn i had been robbed. Thus the lost 
being found and returned to its owner, restores all the 
value that had been before possessed. I am of the 
opinion that by adopting this method, farms will add 
at least fifty per cent, to the value of their yard ma¬ 
nures. B. C. D. 
Trumbull , Ct, Feb. 5, 1845. 
Asparagus.— To improve the flavor of asparagus, 
and make it more delicate and tender, spread salt over 
the beds early this month. In addition to its value 
to asparagus, salt is beneficial in destroying insects, 
and kills several kinds of weeds, and checks ths 
growth of others. It is also a good manure to the 
land. 
WESTERN CALENDAR FOR MARCH. 
The hemp-brakers should be still kept in motion 
every day that is fit for cleaning hemp, nor should 
the plows be suffered to stop. As some of the hemp- 
brakers must now be put to the plows, others must 
be hired to take their place at the hemp-brakes, so 
that botli operations may progress together. Hemp¬ 
braking, if possible, should be finished this month, 
or early in the next; all hands will be required to 
assist in pitching the crop, and cultivating it in a 
proper manner. If the weather is not suitable for 
hemp-braking, all hands not engaged at the plows 
should be employed in making rails, repairing fences, 
and clearing up ground for the plows, if any such 
clearing is necessary; and this work should progress 
at all leisure times, when the ground is too wet to 
work, while any such repairs are necessary, and hands 
can be spared for the purpose. 
The stock must be attended to as usual; but about 
the middle, sometimes the first of this month, in lati¬ 
tude 39°, sheep will do well upon pasture alone, 
especially if no stock has run upon it during the 
winter, or at least not later than the middle of Janu¬ 
ary. Lambs should not be allowed to drop before 
the last of March, unless they are raised for the 
butcher. The ewes having now a good bite of pas¬ 
ture, will have a full flow of milk, and no lambs will 
be lost, or none of consequence. 
If the season is a favorable one, and the ground 
not too wet, the sowing of hemp may commence 
about the middle of this month. Early sowing pro¬ 
duces the heaviest lint, and although hemp sown as 
early as the middle of March, is liable to be checked 
in its growth by cold, dry, frosty weather, and will 
not, therefore, attain so great a height as that which 
is sown later, yet, in general, it produces a good 
yield of lint, and of first rate quality. Corn may 
also be planted from the middle to the last of this 
month. Severe frosts will nip the top blades, but 
hardly ever injure it to such an extent as to prevent 
it again growing. Early planted corn is much less 
liable to be injured by long summer drought, and is 
more certain of making a good crop than that which 
is planted late. Early planting is, therefore, strongly 
recommended. Early in this month (if not already 
done in the previous month, which would be better), 
tobacco growers must burn and prepare beds for sow¬ 
ing tobacco seed for plants. To bring these forward 
early, rich new ground, with a southeastern aspect, 
should be chosen. The beds, when sown, should 
be lightly covered with fine brush to keep them 
moist, and protect the young plants from frost. 
Early ripe tobacco cures of a finer color, and makes 
the most valuable article, hence the importance of 
having early plants. Early in this month, or late in 
February, which is better in latitude 39°, clover seed 
should be sown on growing wheat and rye, at the rate 
of a bushel of good clean seed to each ten acres. If 
sown with oats, it will do later, and may be put in 
with the oat crop whenever the ground is in suitable 
condition. Other grass seeds may also be sown early 
in this month. Timothy would do letter in Februa 
ry, and Salem grass also, A. Beatty. 
Prospect Hill, Ry. 
