144 



On Manures. 



Vol. IV» 



economical way of feeding the grass upon a 

 given quantity of land. Soiling hogs too in 

 a littered pen producss much and good ma- 

 nure. 



In fattening hogs, as is the custom in our 

 country, in a good sized pen, a vast deal of 

 fine manure may be made in these pens dur- 

 ing that period by liauling marsh turf and lit- 

 ter of all sorts into them, before you com- 

 mence feeding, and then feeding on that — the 

 whole becomes a mass of rich matter in the 

 course of fattening the hogs and is in fine 

 state, the next spring, lor every purpose to 

 which manure is applied. 



In some retired spot, close at hand to the 

 kitchen and poultry yard, a common square 

 pen should be made, say sixteen feet square ; 

 to "receive the sweepings of the yard and 

 grounds about the house, which are to be kept 

 clean for decency and health — to receive the 

 sweepings from the poultry, house and yard — 

 the filth taken from all out houses — the cast 

 off contents of all tubs, jxjts, ley hoppers and 

 vessels of every sort, meat liquor and soap 

 suds excepted, at the times when the first is 

 boiled up with food for pigs, and the last is 

 particularly applied to grape vines and fruit 

 trees, for both of which it is eminently useful. 

 The manure collected in this receptacle is the 

 richest of all made on the farm, and where 

 due attention is paid to it, the quantity is in- 

 calculably great. 



Whatever may be the natural sources of 

 manure with which a farm abounds, the mode 

 of making it in fold yards, feeding pens, res- 

 ervoirs, &LC. ought never to be neglected. As 

 ample stores of manure are essential to abun- 

 dant production, and as that made from the 

 stock is among the best produced, the labor 

 and arrangements of the farm should be so 

 adjusted as to afford a sufficiency of labor for 

 hauling out constantly from the natural re- 

 sources, as well as for making and hauling 

 out the manure from stock yards, stable and 

 reservoirs. The cultivation of the earth 

 without regularly manuring it is a misappli- 

 cation of time and labor — it impoverishes man 

 and reduces the soil inst"ad of enriching the 

 one and improving the other. 



As to the mode of applying manure which 

 seems to be the object of incjuiry in the third 

 and eighteenth interrogatory, much rlific'rence 

 of opinion exists among diO'crcnt farmers. — 

 All agree that manure, however applied, is 

 ultimately usetiil — but as the inquiry seems 

 to be into the application of manure to do 

 the most good to the growing crop, tliis is the 

 precise point upon wiiich a diversity of opin- 

 ion exists. 



Men of wealth can by the force of money 

 accomplish any thing on a farm that is prac- 

 ticable — they can buy land at high prices and 

 expend enormous sums of money in buying 



manures, and in other improvements and em« 

 bellishments. However good and creditably 

 this may be to tlie fortunate proprietor, it addi 

 but little to the welfare and instruction of the 

 great agricultural community, because few 

 can follow such examples. To render true 

 benefit to agriculture, plans ought to be such 

 that the great majority of farmers may bs 

 able to adopt them — such as are within the 

 means of ordinary tenants and farmers upon 

 a small scale, whose whole and sole depend- 

 ence is upon their farms. Whosoever will 

 teach these men to lire in comfort and to grow 

 richer by improving their lands and increasing 

 their crops annually will be really a benefac- 

 tor. 



Manure is the great agent for the increase 

 of crops — we desire to know how we shall 

 employ this agent to afford us the greatest 

 yearly income. A good direction is furnished 

 us in the maxim of a very useful agriculturist 

 of our own time and country in this partica- 

 lar, which is " to extend a given quantity af 

 manure over as great a portion of the field cxje 

 tivated as possible, so as to cause the field t^ 

 yield an improved quantity of crop, the ground 

 being left better after the crop than it was be- 

 fore" — such a course systematically and un% 

 mittingly pursued, will, no doubt, accompli^ 

 tbe object of improving crops and lands, fifit 

 this direction applies more particularly to tbs 

 quantity of manure per acre — the question hou 

 and ivhen it is best to apply manure, whether 

 superficially, or to have it immediately turned 

 under — whether late or early, still recurs— 

 and we are also to inquire whether perfectly 

 decomposed manure is bc^^t, or at what lesser 

 stage of decomposition it is more advantageous 

 to apply it. 



Many farmers have thought that the soonff 

 the manure is incorporated with the earth in 

 the fields after it is hauled out, the more en- 

 riched the ground becomes, and consequently 

 the more capable of bearing a crop — suppos- 

 ing that all exposure to sun and air caused 

 an exhalation of its fertilizing particles. 



OtlifTS on the contrary contend, that the 

 volatile particles of manure are comparatively 

 very small and that such lo.-s is unworthy of 

 regard — that the enriching qualities of ran- 

 nure are rather disposed to gravitate and sink, 

 and therefore they prefer their most superfi- 

 cial application. 



To discuss this question^ philosophically is 

 not my design. I prefer to leave that to others 

 of more science and more leisure. I shall 

 only oiler my own experience as ascertained 

 by my own iallible judgment and add a few 

 sugg(!stions. 



Wli(>n manures are designed to be incorpo- 

 rated with the earth by turning them in imm^ 

 diat(!ly, soil and .season will produce a differ- 

 ence. Soil of loose texture not sandy, but 



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