3S8 



THE FARMER»S MAGAZINE, 



be very usefully applied in breaking into pieces the 

 lumps which will adhere to each other, and in 

 tending to distribute the mass equally over the 

 ground. For this purpose, the harrowing must be 

 done across and lengthwise, so as to act in both 

 directions. When the surface has become tho- 

 roughly dry, a heavy roll must be applied, which 

 will level all inequalities, and press together the 

 earthy compost and the roots of the plants. The 

 roll must be very liberally used both in the autumn 

 and in the spring; one or even two applications 

 may not be sufficient in order to produce a close 

 bed for the roots of the plants in contact with the 

 manure, and level against the penetration of 

 drought. 



The quantity of such a compost manure to be 

 used on an acre of ground may be stated at an 

 average of 40 cart-loads of one-horse draught. 

 Very much of the effects of all manures is lost 

 from the want of quantity; the chemical combi- 

 nation of bodies is often produced by the addition 

 of one or more substances, which alter the rela- 

 tionship, and in changing state they also change 

 capacity. Different effects are also produced in 

 different situations, and the quantity and degree of 

 the exertion of the power depend on various and 

 changing circumstances. Besides the quantity and 

 the quality of the substances, much influence is 

 exerted by temperature, by electricity, and by me- 

 chanical pressure, by insolubility, and by other 

 causes, arising from peculiar circumstances. 

 The compost manure which we have now 

 described, being a cool mass, will be used 

 in cool weather, when the solubility will not 

 be too much hastened by the violent heats, nor re- 

 tarded by the pinching colds. A gradual decom- 

 position will best answer the j)urpose of the 

 assimilation of the elements to the food of plants. 



The value is very great of earthy composts pro- 

 perly prepared in this way, for being used as top- 

 dressings on grass lands of all kinds, and also on 

 fallow grounds. Not only the common herbage 

 is increased in quantity, but the quality is very 

 much altered, by the invariable effect of grass 

 plants of a better kind being brought forward and 

 estabhshed on the ground. It is a very beneficial 

 practice to sow the seeds of the better grasses on 

 the top of a liberal application of a good, rich, 

 earthy compost, to be pressed into the fresh 

 earthy stratum by the heavy roll. Inferior grass 

 lands may be very much improved in this way, and 

 at a very moderate cost, in the purchase of the 

 lime and the seeds of the grass plants. In every 

 case of appHcation, the compost of lime and earths 

 is much superior in effect to lime by itself, espe- 

 cially on lands of an inferior description. This 

 truth is settled beyond all dispute. 



The burning of clay for the purpose of being 

 converted into a manure, has been often tried with 

 much boasting confidence, but with no lasting suc- 

 cess. By the application of a smothering fire, the 

 water in the clay is banished, the earths are re- 

 duced,anddividedintominuteparHcles,and invested 

 with an unknown property which substances ac- 

 quire that have undergone the action of fire. In 

 this state, it is supposed to attract and retain the 

 ammonia conveyed to the soil by rain water, andthus 



affords to plants the nitrogen contained in the ammo- 

 nia. Clay is the oxide of " aluminum," one of the 

 newly-discovered terrigenous metals, and is com- 

 posed of silica, alumina, oxide of iron, and some 

 little inflammable matter, and probably some other 

 substances, but in a very minute ratio. The com- 

 bination of alumina with the oxide of iron pro- 

 duces the well-known earthy smell of clays. The ac- 

 tion of fire on clay will further oxidise the residual 

 calxes that compose it, and must contain none of the 

 elements of vegetation, a property which belongs to 

 all bodies that exist in that state. Very much, if not 

 the whole value will consist in the composition of 

 the clay itself ; and when it is taken from the surface 

 of the ground, it will contain both animal and 

 vegetable matters, and the ashes will be of the 

 usual nature after burning. The practice of burn- 

 ing clay by itself has wholly sunk in repute, as it 

 never had a legitimate existence on scientific 

 grounds. A metallic base that has been divested 

 of every ingredient can form no fertilizing sub- 

 stance, and the preparation adds very considerably 

 to the lessening of its value. On the other hand, 

 allumina has a very strong afllinity for lime, and 

 hence the very beneficial results that attend the re- 

 ciprocal action, and arise from their union. 



On the subject of using clay, it may be added that 

 the clods of clay land fallows may be very advan- 

 tageously pulverized by being laid into heaps and 

 mixed with the shells of hot lime, which are ignited 

 by the exposure, or by the application of water. 

 The damp heat exhaled from the lime will produce 

 a smothering effect on the clay, will penetrate the 

 tough mass, and impart a fertilizing property to 

 the mixed substances. The lime and the clay will 

 be pulverized together and most minutely blended 

 and mixed in a manner that is otherwise impossi- 

 ble. This mode of using clay lias been seldom 

 noticed, and little practised, but of the value of the 

 application no doubt can be entertained. 



Clay has been laid on longitudinal heaps of hot 

 dissolving lime, and it is benefited by the pene- 

 tration of the damp vapours from the bursting of 

 the lime shells. It is afterwards removed, and 

 used as a manure. Little certainly is known of 

 this way of using clay; the quantity of lime must 

 be very considerable, in order to pierce and crum- 

 ble a tough mass by means of the damp exhala- 

 tions. The duration may be doubted of the ferti- 

 lizing quality that is communicated to the clay by 

 the volatile elements of the caustic lime. 



In mixing clays with lime in order to form the 

 compost as now recommended, the special attention 

 must be directed to the laying the clay and lime 

 together in the hottest possible state after the lime 

 has been burned. Tiie dissolution of the cinders 

 by the effect of moisture emits much heat, which 

 penetrates and crumbles the tough harshness of 

 the aluminous mass, and reduces it to the condition 

 of being combined in a milder and more useful 

 form. If the lime be allowed to lie exposed and 

 becomes mild, it loses the character of a caustic 

 solvent, and assumes the state of an earthy in- 

 gredient. In this form, it does not act on other 

 bodies, and enters only into a mechanical mix- 

 ture with substances that are ])ulverized in a similar 

 state. The clay is usually in the form of clods and 



