252 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 4 



human excrements form the basis, and principal fertil- 

 izing material, of all. An account of the efieclsand 

 value of this new manure, "animalized charcoal," from 

 an English periodical, was given to the readers of the 

 Farmers' Register, at page 120, vol. iii.; and a much 

 more full and explanatory account, at pages 563 to 570, 

 vol. iii., which was translated for this journal from a 

 new French publication. It is, doubtless, this same 

 "animalized carbon," which is described as Payen's and 

 Buran's manure, in the piece republished at page 12S 

 of our last number. Some mystery, and perhaps 

 some quackery, on the part of the maniifactureis of 

 the manure, was evident in the earlier accounts; as the 

 discdverers wished at first to pass off their "animalized 

 carbon" as the refuse or otfal product of the sugar re- 

 fineries — a far more cosily article, and which was 

 known to be a very rich manure — ^just as it now seems 

 that Mr. Lance wishes to have his manure rated as 

 pounded bones. But however the manufacturers and 

 salesmen might desire to conceal the nature of the ma- 

 terials they used, and to have them believed to be such 

 as are more costly, and less nauseous and offensive — it 

 is very different with the public; and the discovery of 

 the material used for the preparation of the 'animalized 

 charcoal," is precisely that which gives the great and 

 almost the only practical value to that manure. The 

 genuine article, composed principally of blood and su- 

 gar, rich as it might be, was too scarce and too costly 

 to be of much benefit to agriculture; but the counter- 

 feit article, which merely from its comparative cheap- 

 ness was suspected to be "adulterated," promises to be 

 highly valuable and important, because the materials 

 are abundant, and their removal or consumption, in any 

 way, will be beneficial. Yet cheap as is this manure 

 considered in England, (about Is. 6d. sterling the bush- 

 el, and 35 shillings the ton at Copenhagen,) compared 

 to the bones and the refuse of sugar refineries, with 

 which it is compared, that price, or the half of it, would 

 make an enormous profit for the manufacturers of the 

 compound manure, if prepared as Mr. Minor proposes 

 — and so would th^ fourth of that price, if mild calca- 

 reous earth was the disinfecting and preserving ingre- 

 dient used, according to the plan proposed in our last 

 number. 



If, then, we are right in supposing that the pretend- 

 ed "animalized charcoal" described in the two articles 

 above referred to, is indeed simply human fecal mat- 

 ters prepared for manure, it gives to those articles a new 

 interest and value — and we recommend a recurrence 

 to them to Mr. Minor, and to all who are sensible of 

 the importance of the object of his enterprise. As the 

 first article above referred to is short, it will be republish- 

 ed here: and for the much longer piece translated from 

 the French, readers are referred to our former publi- 

 cation, commencing at page 568, vol. iii. of Farmers' 

 Register. 



^Jlnimalizcd Carbnn, a new Manure. 

 •This substance is of French origin, and its manufac- 

 ture is secured by patent. It was discovered by a 

 French chemist; but that it is a substance easily manu- 

 factured may be inferred from the fact of its being 

 shipped free on board for 35s. per ton. Mr. Joseph 

 Owen, of Copenhagen, acquired the knowledge of the 

 manufacture from the patentee in France, and has 

 lince established a manufactory on his own account in 



Copenhagen. His traveller, a Danish gt^^ntleman, was 

 the first to introduce this new manure lo the notice of 

 the [Scottish agriculturists. We have not had an op- 

 portunily of seeing a sample of it, but it seems it has 

 heen tried last year by Mr. Dalgainis of Ingliston, and 

 ftlr. Inches of Cardean, who, we hope, will favor us 

 with their opinion of its efiicacy. We understand that 

 the Danish genth'inan has disposed of 250 tons of it in 

 the Counties of ForCar and Kincardine. Mr. Owen's 

 card gives the following account of its nature, and the 

 modi' of using it: 



"The chief excellency of this manure is, that it is 

 powerful in its effects, occupies but little room, is easi- 

 ly separated, and conveniently used either by hand or 

 drill; its effects are farther to ensure a ricli crop, by 

 gradually ameliorating the soil, and rendering fallow- 

 in? unnecessary. Jbor wheat, rye, buckwheat, barley, 

 and simdardescriptions of corn, about S cwt. 1 qr. 16 lbs. 

 is used per acre: it may be either broadcast or diilled 

 in before harrowing. For flax, h( mp, beet, potatoes, 

 &r. about 104 cwt. per acre; and 12 cwt. 2 qis. 10 lbs. 

 per acre for artificial meadows, different corts of cab- 

 bage, rape, culinary plants, and for refreshing natural 

 meadow land. For plaiitr that arc set in rows, a hand- 

 ful is put to each plnnt; for those which are transplant- 

 ed, a child follows the planter and throws a very small 

 handful of the manure into each hole, which is iinme- 

 diatel}' covered over with earth; in several places for 

 rape, it is scattered out in !Ows along the roots of the 

 plant, which the plough covers by forming a new fur- 

 row. On meadow land it must be spread out in De- 

 cember or January, when the snow is not on the 

 ground. Generally speaking, it is well to mix the ma- 

 nure with half its quantity of finely sifted earth; but 

 there is no necessity for pursuing this method. On 

 light and warm soils about 2 qrs. 22 lbs. less per acre 

 is used than on cold or clay lands, where an extra 2 

 qrs. 22 lbs. are added to the quantity as beforehand di- 

 rected to be used; it is in fact lelt to the farmer's 

 judgment to make use of the above directions, accord- 

 ing to local circumstances. What characterizes this 

 manure most is, that it developes its effects so slowly 

 and gradually, that it may be applied without danger 

 in contact with the seed or roots of plants; in this it 

 differs from a number of other manures which are less 

 rich, but more heating. In Scotland it has been tried 

 in 1834 on eight different soils, has been found nearly 

 epual to bone dust for turnips, and has since been or- 

 dered in large quantities from the manufacturer, Mr. 

 Owen, at Copenhagen, who delivers it free on board at 

 36s. per ton." — Ed. Quar. Jour. Jgr. 



PROSPECTS OF CROPS IN SOUTH CAROLINA — ' 

 THE CURRENCY. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Mbevilh District, S. C, ) 

 July I2th, 1837. $ 



In the present disastrous and deplorable condi- 

 tion of the country, when the tempest of ruin la 

 sweepino; over the land wilh ruthless force, carry 

 ing in its train the destruction of all kinds of bu- 

 siness, and prostrating public, as well as private 

 credit, it is pieasinop to hear that the labors of ag- 

 riculture are likely to be compensated with an 

 abundant reward. 



It may be some gratification to you, to know 

 what are our prospects here. You are apfirised 

 that, in South Carolina, not much smull grain (a 

 term used, I suppose, in contradistinction to the 

 larger grain of Indian corn) is cultivated, except 

 oats. This latter grain has yielded a good har- 

 vest. The wheat crop is much belter than it haa 



