54 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



pile against this plank fence. Build up the pile in sections of about six feet to a convenient 

 height, sloping the sides so as to shed rain. Finish each section to the top, sprinkle the 

 outside with dissolved bone, or if ground bone is used, then with gypsum, and cover with 

 boards or with straw like a stack, unless the compost is made under shelter, as some prefer, to 

 prevent loss of the liquid manure by heavy rains. But this will involve the labor of keeping 

 the pile wet by pouring water over it. When one section is finished proceed to form the 

 next section above and so on. The advantage of finishing off in sections is, that decompo 

 sition starts sooner, and by the time the last section is done, the first will be sooner ready. 



The constituents and proportions for the composts must be determined with reference 

 to the crops to be grown, and the soil. 



It is particularly important that putrescent manures should be composted, for the quan 

 tity can be largely increased with very little or no loss in quality, particularly if phosphoric 

 acid and potash be added. Even without these it would be profitable to compost, for by 

 adding rich dirt, scrapings of fence-corners and ditch- banks or woods mold, and adding all 

 the hen-manure, hog-manure, urine, soapsuds, etc., from the house, a pile can be made of 

 equal value and much larger than if no compost is attempted, because many things will be saved 

 and added which would be thrown away and neglected. And by adding these things, 

 ammonia, which would escape, will be absorbed and retained, and the fermentation will 

 reach and embrace all the materials in the pile, and a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 

 But ground bone or ground phosphate, or these materials in dissolved form, should be 

 added, and potash, if the soils and crops require it. Do not add ashes or lime to the compost 

 unless gypsum is applied at the same time to prevent the ashes driving off the ammonia. It 

 is probable that it is better not to add lime at all. In making composts, the farmer must 

 study the wants of his different crops and of his soil. If the compost has to be formed in 

 a short time, it will be better to use dissolved bone or. phosphate; but if there is sufficient 

 time, then ground bone or phosphate should be used, as the ammonia and other things in the 

 pile will have time to make the phosphoric acid soluble. Observe, we frequently use the term 

 phosphoric acid for the bone or phosphate, in which form it is available to crops. If the 

 dissolved article is used, gypsum will not be necessary. If the ground article is used, then 

 gypsum will be necessary to prevent escape of the ammonia. Professor Pendleton, using 

 stable-manure as the basis, directs that about the first of January this be removed to an open 

 space, the manure to be chopped and the compost formed by a layer of stable-manure six 

 inches thick, with a good sprinkling of ground phosphate (South Carolina) over it; then a 

 layer of cotton seed (previously saturated with water) ; then another layer of superphosphate 

 half an inch thick; then a layer of stable-manure, and so on, until the heap is completed, which 

 should be conical in form. (We think the pile had better be flat to catch water enough to 

 promote fermentation and prevent firing!) Over the heap then apply several inches of dry 

 clay soil to prevent the escape of ammonia. But if superphosphate is used this will not be 

 necessary. Professor Pendleton in one place says ground phosphate, and in another super 

 phosphate. This compost is to be put in corn or cotton beds in March and April. As we 

 cannot get cotton-seed, which are rich in nitrogen, then we must substitute sulphate ammonia 

 or nitrate soda, if we think we have not enough nitrogen for the crop. If we have a clover 

 or pea-fallow, or there is much vegetable matter in the soil, we can do without these. In the 

 cotton states very little grass is raised, and the land is usually clear of vegetable matter. 

 Cotton-seed comes in there very happily, and is very valuable in the production of a cotton 

 crop. In our compost heaps for a tobacco crop we can profitably put in the compost all the 

 tobacco stalks and stems we can get; they should, as far as practicable, be put in before 

 Christmas, to give them time to decompose. So much putrescent manure will not be 

 required in compost with these other materials as when used alone. We may do with ten or 

 fifteen one-horse cart-loads per acre, or less than this if some material, as sulphate ammonia or 



