THE WISCONSIN FARMER.



alternately till all is packed; lay the hands      Top Dressing Oran Lands.
as close to each other as possible, not sprawled
out like an open fan, but compactly. Lay  -Now is the time, says the New
England
some boards on top of the pile and put on just 1 Farmer, to commence the
preparation of ma-
weight enough to keep them snug. Some I terials for this important work,
Some persons
boards or blankets should be put nt the end of i doubt whether the application
of manure to
the pile to keep it from drying up. The sec- the surface of grass land is
the best mode of
onds and fillers are packed in the same way; using it. This depends upon
two or three cir-
they onay be packed in a separate pile, or on cumestances, viz .-I. Upon
the nature of the
top. or at the ends of the wrappers. It is now  'Tsoil.  2. Upen the time
of application.  S.
ready for market. If it should remain long! upon the condition of the dressing.
in pile it should be examined occasionally to t Top dressing will continue
to bring a crop
see that it does not hurt, as it sometimes hap- I longer on a moist soil
than on a dry one, Ist,
pens that when taken down. stripped and I because such land is the best adapted
to grass,
packed w hel it is too damp, it will grow damp-:, and, 2dly, because the
manure by being kept
er and perhaps rot. If too damp, it should be I moist is brought into a state
of decomposition,
repacked on some windy day to give it an and becomes prepared as food for
the plants
airing, slinking .^ut the dampest hands and instead of drying up. Top dressings,
there-
letting them remain exposed till sufficiently fore, for high lands, should
be applied in the
dry to be repacked.  The stalks, after being spring, as early as March or
the first part of
stripped, should either be spread on grass April, so as to receive the early
rains and get
land and remain till spring. when they may thoroughly leaehed, and the coarser
particles
be rakei up and carted on to land designed washed down among the roots of
the grass be-
for the next crop of tobacco, and burnt, or let fore the hot dry weather
comes on. Or, it may
them remiain in the barn till spring, when be applied-and perhaps with better
effect-
they may be cut up fine and dropped into po- late in November, when it will
receive the
tato or corn hills, using a good sized handful later rains and be leached
by them, orbe cov-
to each hill.                                ered with snow to be melted
upon the dressing
                 MlinOats with Wheat,     and thus carry its fertilizing
properties grad.
                   XIX~~~~ng                n~~~ally to the grass roots during
the winter and
  [The following communication was received spring.
                                               It is unpopular-we arc fully
aware-to re-
some time since, but was mislaid in some way commend top dressing for high
and dry grass
so that it could not be published before.-ED.] I lands still, we believe
it to be a profitable



  MaI Ermiron:-I have just had tmy attention
called to mixing oats and wheat for seed. It
is the general opinion that the quantity and
quality of both are improved.  I have often
seen wheat, that was grown with oats, of a
superior quality.  With our improved Fan-
ning Mills oats are so readily removed that
they need be but little detriment to the crop.
  Then, again, we know that chinch bugs
never work in oats. Would not a good sprink-
ling of oats form some protection against their
ravages ' A bannv dav would it h. for us



farmers if some means could be devised to
checkmate them. If this can be done, as well
as improve the crop, by mixing, we would be
well repaid for the little extra trouble it may
cost.
  Are there not some of your readers who
have tried it already, and can give us their
experience, that we may have some guide
when the spring opens and the operation of
seeding commences'  JAmb K. TttompsoN.
BtonT, Jan. 2R, 1863.



way or terlizing, when it is done judicious-
ly. The error consists in cropping the land
for many years, without manuring until not
only the fertilizing agents are exhausted, but
the roots of the grams themselves have either died
for want of food, or have been driven out by
plants more hardy and persistent than them-
selves. When a field is in this condition it is
folly to top dress it. There is no basis upon
which to act.  The dressing was deferred too
long-there is no recuperative power left.
The remedy for such land is through the plow,
manure, cultivation, and plenty of reed, or all
of these, excepting the cultivation, which may
be omitted by turning over the sod and lay-
ing down in August, or early in September.



  In a wet season something may be done on
high land by spreading fine compost manure
liberally, scattering on grass seed and har-
rowing. Clover, sown early in April in this
way, will sometimes succeed well.  If the
farmer would be watchful, manure his fields
in season, occasionally scattering a little seed
over them, while producing liberal crops, he
might save. considerable expense in plowing
and re-seeding. All this, however, should not
prevent a judicious rotation of crops, and, in
turn, bringing the grass fields into cultivated
ones, which is undoubtedly the course that
will secure the most certain profits.
  The time when top dressing should be ap-



320