FARMERS' REGISTER— APPLYING MANURE— PRAIRIE SOILS. 



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on, in such heaps, as well and perhaps with less 

 waste, in cold weather, than in warm. 8iich 

 heaps might bo made once in two weeks, through 

 the winter, and ollen matters might be so arranged, 

 as to render it a convenience to haul out manure 

 as a return load, while drawing materials lor mak- 

 ing more into the llirm-pcn. And this, I think, 

 would be more than a mere convenience, as I hold 

 that the sooner manure is applied to the soil, after 

 it is made, tiie better. Some expense would arise 

 in erecting suitable shelters, but this would soon 

 be amply repaid in the increase in quantity and 

 quality of the manure, and comfort and consequent 

 improvement of the stock. In a well littered liirm- 

 pen, exposed through the winter to the weather, 

 much of the richer jiarts must rise, even in cold 

 weather, to the gaseous lermentation, and be wast- 

 ed. The same litter, sheltered, would not ferment, 

 for lack of moisture, during the short time allowed 

 lor its impregnation with animal matter. Indeed, it 

 is doubted, whether — should it be necessary — it 

 might not be kept tree li-om fern)entation through 

 the whole winter. I think it also certain, that, 

 while not chemically fermenting, its loss would be 

 trivial. 



Much has been said, on the subject of applying 

 manure to land, and many directions given about 

 heaping it and carefully covering the piles with 

 earth, to save tlie escaping gases. After all, I 

 doubt whether it bo not best to .spread it at once 

 over the surface. While kept in heaps, chemical 

 action must go on. This produces an evolution of 

 gas; and though much of this ma\^ be caught by 

 the covering of earlh, yet this is taken Irom the 

 heap below, aisd leaves it weaker. Itj after sulll- 

 ciently rotting manure at the farm-pen or stable, it 

 be equally spread over the surilice, little or no 

 che.mical action can occur. It is true, the sun and 

 air speedily dry the water out of it. 13ut this is 

 very ditferent from the chemical lermentation em- 

 ployed in rotting it, while in heaps. Alter it once 

 gets diy, it can lose no more, not even of moisture; 

 and when it rains, its soluble matters go into the 

 earth, where they ought to be, mouldering and 

 mellowing the clods, and preparing the land to 

 produce a fine crop, ^yho has not seen — after a 

 rich dressing of manure has been hastily buried 

 under a poor clay — the clods remaining obdurate, 

 with great detriment to the crop, througliout the 

 season? And who has not seen a summer cow- 

 pen, which has not been ploughed till the next 

 spring, surpass in crop, an adjoining one, which 

 was well turned over in the fall?* This experi- 

 ment, I have repeatedly made; and have lancied 

 that the advantage gained, was protracted beyond 

 the first year, by the kindly condition in which 

 this treatment left the soil — especially, when the 

 land has been in a short time, laid down in grass. 

 But, even if the benefit lasted but for one year, 



the speedy return from such an investment of ma- 

 nure, would be worth considering, li is, however, 

 granted that no harm can result li-om a deep burial 

 of manure, in a loam sufficiently rich and mel- 

 low to nourish the young plants, until their 

 roots can strike down to it. JBut, even here, it 

 might be doubted, whether benefit might not be 

 derived from exposing the manure to one or two 

 rains before ploughing it in. Some of the best 

 practical farmers in Virginia have adopted the 

 plan ol" top-dre,ssing, not only with prepared ma- 

 nures, but also with fresh straw — the soluble por- 

 tions of which are readily yielded to water. And 

 the practice may reasonably be defended, until it 

 can be demonstrated, that the sun and air exert a 

 material chemical action on a thin stratum of ma- 

 nure. 



A proposition in agriculture, has been too fullj 

 demonstrated, toj need an attempt at confirmation 

 here, which the improving fiirmer should always 

 bear in mind. It is this* — that a soil cannot, by 

 the best rotation of crops, aided only by the use of 

 putrescent manures, be permanently kept at a 

 grade of lertility above its natural standard, or that 

 which it held before ctearing — or, in other words, 

 that every soil has its natural grade, as regards its 

 capacity lor improvement, and th;\t this grade de- 

 pends upon its approach to that hajipy combina- 

 tion of sand, clay,' and lime,t which constitutes the 

 perfi^ction of a soil. An attention to this doctrine 

 will lead us to appdy putrescent manures largely, 

 only to those soils .which seem to have a large 

 capacity for retaining them, while we endeavor to 

 keep the weaker soils up to their standard of fer- 

 tility, by a mild rotation, and occasional melioia- 

 tingcrops; using diligently whatever opportunity 

 may oiler itself; for elevating their grade, by the 

 use of permanent manures. 



Tiie foregoing remarlts are ofiered, with a sin- 

 cere conviction of the importance of the subjects, 

 and With the hope that more experience, talent, 

 and science may bo brought to bear upon 

 them. 



M. rr. 



* The attention of the writer was drawn to the sub- 

 ject of surface manurinuj, many years ago, by some- 

 thing written by one of the venerated compeers of 

 Col. Taylor. Since writing the article above, I have 

 received my March numl)er of the Register, and find, 

 if I may judge from the initials, and from the well 

 known cheery style — something on the same subject 

 from the same hand. May tlie periodical numbers of 

 the work long be enlivened by the effusions of this 

 writer, who has devoted so much of his life, to tlie 

 seivice of his countiy! 



STATEMKriTS OF THE CONSTITUENT PARTS 

 OF SOILS OF THE rRAIRIES OF ALABAMA. 



To N. Ileibcmaiit, Esq. 



Columbia, March 10, 1835. 



Dear Sir, — I have read in tlie Farmers' Rei^-is- 

 tcr at pages 277 and 367 of Vol. I. the articles on 

 the prairies of Alabama, extracted from the South- 

 ern Agriculturist^ and in them recognize the hand 

 of a valued friend, Avhosc intelligence and expe- 

 rience impart more than ordinary value to his 

 opinions. As 1 know you are in correspondence 

 with the editor, to whom I am unknown, I will 

 sup])ly you with a few facts in relation to the soil 

 of this inteVesting region, which, if you deem 

 them worth preserving, you may transmit to him. 



The description of the surface, soils, and ap- 



* See "Essay on Calcareous Mantu-es." The book 

 being lent out, I cannot quote verbatim. 



t That lime exists, in every soil capable of produc- 

 tion, either in a combined or "free state, has been fully 

 proved. It is believed, however, that those soils con- 

 taining a little lime in a free state, and ready for com- 

 bination w ith putrcsc«nt manures, are best. 



