THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



335 



mediate qualities may be regulated on the same principle, 

 according as it appears desirable to render the soil more or 

 ■less compact in its nature. Hence, every farmer must use 

 his own judgment, and the application of this rule will be 

 found very simple. 



We must, however, inquire how the condition of the 

 manure is regulated. It may be very desirable to know in 

 what condition the dung should be applied ; but this is 

 almost valueless, unless we also know at the same time how 

 to regulate and control the agency which iniluences these 

 changes. They maj- be referred to a somewhat complicated 

 action in the duug known as " fermentation," which it is 

 unnccessarj"^ here to define ; but for our present purpose it 

 is sufficient to know the mode of controlling its action. 

 This process of chemical change in the dung, which is 

 called "fermentation," requires the presence of the air to 

 render its action rapid ; and the decay is more or less active 

 in proportion as the air gains access. This is consequently 

 under our control ; for, if we want to retard the fermenta- 

 tion, it is simply necessary either to let the dung remain 

 firmly trodden down in the yard or pit in which it may be, 

 or else, when made into a heap, let it be compressed tightly 

 by the carts going over it. Should a more rapid decay be 

 desirable, any movement which admits the air will favour 



^ its action — such as turning it, and putting it into a heap 

 without pressing it down. 



It must not, however, be supposed that this is the only 

 condition which operates upon the rotting of the manure, 

 for it needs not only air, but moisture, to render the fer- 

 mentation complete. If moistui-e is deficient, we have "a 

 dry rot," and an appearance of mould which is decidedly 

 objectionable, because of its prejudicial influence upon the 

 fertilizing quality of the dung. The presence of moisture 

 produces a totally diiferent decay ; and on account of its 

 beneficial co-operation, should alwaj's be present during fer- 

 mentation. It is a frequent practice on some farms to have 

 the liquid-manure of the yard pumped upon the dung heaps ; 

 and it is an excellent system, for in this manner the dung 

 receives a very desirable supplj^ of moisture, and any fer- 

 tilizing matter the liquid contains is thus added to the 

 heap. It is also especially worthy of notice that recent 

 investigations into the fermentation of dung have revealed 

 the following important fact, and its cause, viz., that our 

 heaps of farm-yard manure contain the valuable fertilizing 

 compounds of ammonia in two forms — the one extremely 

 volatile, and thereby capable of being readily lost when 

 spread upon the land; the other not volatile, and ma}' 

 therefore be e.xposed to the sun fearlessly. Now, as there 



• is a considerable quantity of dung applied to turnip land in 

 the months of May, June, and July, when the weather is 

 frequently exceedingly hot, it is clearly desirable for every 

 turnip farmer to know how he may decrease the former, 

 and increase the latter. It is evident that, with all the 

 diligence and speed shown in covering the dung, much of 

 the volatile matter must be diffused into the air, and be- 

 comes — so far as the operator is concerned — practicallj' lost. 

 The conditions under which the volatile compounds are 

 formed are an excessive heat of the heap and a deficiency 

 of moisture. In those cases in which moisture was freely 

 supplied to the heap, and a moderate fermentation encour- 

 aged, the proportion of volatile manurial matter was quite 

 nominal; but where these conditions were neglected the 

 proportion became very large, and in the employment of 

 the manure much of its value was lost. It has, therefore, 

 been shown to be highly desirable to take every care that 

 all heaps of manure which are heating freely, or, [in other 



words, fermenting rapidly, should have frequent applica- 

 tions either of liquid manure or water. This is a modifi- 

 cation of practice of considerable value to the cultivator of 

 the turnip crop. 



The time at which the dung is most advantageously ap- 

 plied is also dependent, in a great measure, upon the soil it 

 is intended for. We all know that in ordinary practice 

 there is a considerable loss in the rotting of the dung, and, 

 except in a few cases, where very unusual care is taken of 

 the manure, this loss is constantly arising. It has also been 

 shown that soils which have a moderate proportion of clay 

 in them are capable of acting like storehouses for the mat- 

 tor produced during fermentation, and retaining those fer- 

 tilizing materials until required by the growing plant. This 

 power appears to vary in some measure with the proportion 

 of clay ; thus a sandy soil being without any clay is almost 

 destitute of this power, whilst in a clay soil it is very power- 

 ful : and hence our common terms of " hungry soils " and 

 " holding land," which are so frequently used in speaking 

 of soils of these classes. If a soil does not possess the 

 power of retaining the manure applied, it is not 

 desirable to add the dung long before the sowing 

 of the crop, which is to gather it again ; whilst, 

 on the other hand, if the soil can secrete all the pro- 

 ducts arising from the fermentation of the manure more per- 

 fectly thaa we can preserve it out of the soil, it is clearly an 

 inducement to entrust the dung to its safer custody. There 

 are other considerations which render it desirable to apply the 

 dung to the land as early as circumstances will permit, 

 especially the advautages which result fron^the more complete 

 intermixture of the manure with the soil. Upon our strong 

 soils the early application of the dung is desirable, and for 

 these it should be used in a fresh condition. This practice ia 

 rapidly extending in some parts of the midland counties, where 

 much of the dung is ploughed in before winter. Upon light 

 soils the manure should be well rotted, and applied immediately 

 before the last ploughing. 



The use of bene manures— which are chiefly valuable for the 

 phosphates they contain— may be advantageo)i3ly considered 

 as having two distinct duties to perform. The first is, to pro- 

 mote a very quick growth from the period of germinatioa 

 until the youug plant is well into its rough leaf ; and the 

 second duty is to maintain a steady and progressive growth. 

 In their functions such manures are much assisted by the 

 ammoniacal manures, guano, &c. ; and it has been found de- 

 sirable to give the young plant a certain allowance of each of 

 these manures, which encourage a very rapid growth, and 

 render the crop comparatively safe from the turnip beetle, 

 its first enemy. If, however, the whole of the manure ap- 

 plied has been drilled with the seed, we have a very rapid early 

 growth, and great promise of a future crop, which is often de- 

 ceptive. The reason is clear : our manure being kept very 

 much in one narrow line, as the plants grow so they get be- 

 yond the manure, and their roots are searching where no 

 manure can be found ; the natural result is that bright hopes 

 fail to be realized, for the crop after making a limited growth, 

 gradually ceases from further progress, and becomes unhealthy* 

 When the artificial manure has been used in conjunction with 

 farm-yard dung this does not arise, for the early growth having 

 been promoted, and the plant thrown into a vigorous condi- 

 tion, it is enabled to search for the manure which is distributed 

 throughout the soil, and the consequence is we have a steady 

 growth, which generally produces our heaviest crops, and cer- 

 tainly yields our most solid roots. If the supply of farm-yard 

 manure will not suffice for the whole of the land, and some 



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