^296 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



be most interested. Now, as ever, the stable and 

 the barn yard are the places lo which the farmer 

 looks lor hiri supply of manure; and it is to these 

 points that his attpution should be directed, wlien 

 wishins; to increase the quantity and the value ol 

 this essentia! article. 



One of the greatest losses the farmer sustains, 

 is by allowing the urine of his stables, and the 

 wash of yards to run to waste. Urine, as is now 

 well known, is one of the most active fertilizing 

 agents, and the leachings in the yard contains a 

 very large proportion of ihe salts that accumulate 

 in such a depository. How often do we see the 

 drainings of the yard and stables, black with decom- 

 posed matter, and ricli with the most fertilizing of 

 salts, pass off into the highway, or some streams, 

 as though the owner considered them a nuisance 

 of which he was glad to be rid in the best way he 

 could. There are two ways in which this egre- 

 gious waste may be prevented, and these most es- 

 sential parts of anima! manure saved for the use 

 of the farm. The first and the best way, where 

 the yard will admit of it, is to cover the yard with 

 such a quantity of vegetable earth, turls, swamp 

 muck, wash of the roads, or any light absorbent 

 earth, as to retain the urine and moisture of the 

 manure, and prevent its escape. Where, from 

 the quantity of the manure, or other causes, this 

 drain cannot in this way be prevented, a large vat, 

 or what is still cheaper, a simple excavation may 

 be made in the earth, and the drain conducted 

 into that. If the earth of the pit is too absorbent 

 it may be clayed ; but unless it is very porous, it 

 will soon cease to absorb the fluid conducted into 

 it. The reservoir should never be allowed to' 

 overflow, but when filled should be taken out, and 

 by means of a cheap apparatus drawn by oxen, 

 distributed over the surface of grass lands, or those 

 intended for crops. 



Eut we hear some one objecting, that all this may 

 be well enough, but it will cost a good deal, and 

 take much hard work to cart this earth to the 

 yards, or distribute the contents of the reservoir. 

 So it will ; and what permanent benefit is acquir- 

 ed that does not cost the farmer hard work. The 

 only question is, whether the work is profitably ex- 

 pended ; if so, the more work there is done on a 

 farm the better. If a farmer by employing one 

 man for six months of the year, in convertinig the 

 manure of his yards into compost, by placing in it 

 a lew hundred loads of earth, turf, muck, &c. to 

 absorb the moisture of the yard, and be thorough- 

 ly mixed by the feet of cattle during the winter, or 

 in distributing daily the proceeds ol the reservoir, 

 should only add enough to the proceeds of the 

 llirm to pay his man so employed, he might consi- 

 der the work done as the most profitably expended 

 of any on his farnti, since the benefits are not con- 

 fined to a single year, or crop, but to many suc- 

 cessive ones. There is not capital enough in the 

 shape of labor, usually employed on our fiirms ; 

 and we doubt not, there are many farmers who 

 complain they are losing money "by hiring one 

 man, would make money by hiring two. Not, 

 indeed, unless the capital or labor was well direct- 

 ed, and the same may be said of capital employ- 

 ed in any other way. 



Fartners in general hnve little idea of the im- 

 jirovement that might be made in this respect, or 

 the amount of their available means in Ihe matter 

 of manures. There ate manv farmers in the 



country who think they do wonders if they use one 

 hundred and fifty or two hundred loads of manure 

 annually, when they could, and should, if they 

 would consult their own interests, use five hundred 

 or one thousand in the same time. It does not 

 require a large stock to give five hundred loads of 

 compost or manure to the farm, if business is man- 

 aged right. A single example in proof must suf- 

 fice, though hundreds might be adduced. Mr. 

 VVm. Clark, Jr. of Northampton, Mass., "keeps 

 an average stock ofeight swine, three horses, and 

 eight oxen and cows, and from this stock he made 

 from June 18.37 to June 1838, nine hundred and 

 twenty loads of first rate manure, as his excellent 

 crops most abundantly testified. Mr. Clark used 

 for compost three hundred loads of sods, and two 

 hundred and Ibrty-seven loads of swamp muck. 

 His yards were supplied with corn-stalks and 

 refuse hay during the winter, and brakes and weeds 

 during the summer, and cleared out twice during 

 the year." 



It ie an honor to a man to labor when his efforts 

 are calculated to insure success ; but to labor hard 

 when workinir tends to no profitable results, 

 betrays a want of that Ibrethouglit and intelligence- 

 which should characterize the American farmer. 



TO SAVE SEEDS. 



From tlie Southern Agriculturist. 

 AH seeds keep better in their seed vessels, but 

 this can rarely bj done, on account of the great 

 space occupied. As soon, therefore, as the pods 

 of cabbages, turnips, radishes, &c., turn brown, 

 and a pan become dry, the stems should be cut and 

 laid on a cloth or floor to dry, and afterwards 

 threshed out, and hung up in bags in some open 

 airy place. Lettuces should be pulled up with the 

 roots, as soon as there is the least appearance of 

 maturity, and hung up, and the plants will ripen 

 all of their seeds, nearly at the same time. If left 

 in the garden to ripen, the eatliest and best will be 

 lost ; in fact, except under very liivorable circum- 

 stances very few v;ill be obtained, as every shower 

 and every strong breeze will lessen the quantity, 

 and scatter those which are matured over the 

 whole garden. The same course should be pur- 

 sued with leeks and onions. It is a prevalent 

 opinion that the bush squash cannot be perpetu- 

 ated among us, as such have a strong tendency 

 to run, and will in one or two seasons become 

 a vine. This is a mistake, and originated, no 

 doubt, in the manner of saving the seed. If 

 the first squashes which appear be retained for 

 seed, there is no .danger of the plant running 

 the next season ; but if these be used, and those 

 which are borne at the extremities are pre- 

 served for this purpose, they will run, and more- 

 over will be later in bearing. To have early fruit 

 of either the squash, cucumber or melon, the very 

 first should be reserved. 



From ttie New Genesee Farmer. 

 THE KOOT CULTURE. 



* * 1 Will now give some account of ray own 

 experimeuls in the root culture. In the first place. 



