THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



73 



necessary to the vigorous growth of some of the 

 most valuable agricuUural products. These eartlid 

 exist in great abundance, in some soils, but in others 

 are very deficient, particularly in lime. This defi- 

 ciency is, in some degree, supplied from the atmo- 

 sphere. Liebig informs us that " by the continual 

 evaporation of the sea, its salts are spread over 

 the whole face of the earth ; and being subse- 

 quently carried down by the rain, I'urnieh to the 

 vegetation those salts necessary to its existence. 

 This is the origin of the salts found in the ashes 

 of plants, in those cases where the soil could not 

 have yielded them."* Besides a small quantiiy 

 of sulphate of lime, there is contained in sea- 

 water, according to Liebig, 1.12400 of its weight 

 of carbonate of lime. 



Thus it is seen we are indebted to the atmo- 

 sphere not only for oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and 

 nitrogen, but also (or potash, soda, and the alka- 

 line earths — lime and magnesia. The importance 

 of these will be further noticed, when 1 come to 

 remark upon manures. 



The means of preserving the fertility of the 

 soil, and renovating that which has been partially 

 exhaused are, 



1. A judicious rotation of crops. 



2. The saving and applying of manures. 



3. A liberal cultivation of such crops as receive 

 their chief nourishment from the atmosphere. 



4. Good tillage. 



As a distinct premium has been offered for the 

 best essay on the rotation of crops best suited to 

 Kentucky, I do not propose, in this essay, to say 

 any thing on that branch of the subject. 



The saving and applying of manures is very 

 important to a good system of husbandry. And 

 great care should be taken to preserve eo much 

 of the product of the farm, as is left unconsumed 

 by man and beast in suitable situations, to be 

 used at the proper time, for that purpose. 



The necessity (or suitable application of ma- 

 nure, to cultivated lands, is very evident when we 

 reflect, that some of the most important ingredi- 

 ents which serve as food (or plants, such as 

 nitrogen, potash and soda, are furnished but 

 sparingly from the atmosphere. These ingredi- 

 ents are all found in niiinures ; and by properly 

 saving and applying them, the farmer is enabled 

 to make up tlie deficiency of the supply from the 

 atmosphere. Manures contain also other useful 

 ingredients, which, perhaps, can be derived from 

 no other source. 



A question of great importance, and one which 

 seems not yet to be fully settled, is what is the 

 best manner of preserving manure till the proper 

 period of applying it to the land in cullivaiion, 

 and in what condition should it be applied, whe- 

 ther alter complete decompoeilion has taken place, 

 or when only partially decomposed or in the state 

 in which it came from the earth? Liebig, in his 

 able work on organic chemistry, in its a|)plicalion 

 to agriculture and physiology, has shown that 

 ammonia is a very important ingredient, in the 

 nourishment of all agricultural products. 



* Liebig's Organic Chemistry, 166. 

 AccordiDg to Marcet, sea-water contains in 1000 

 parts : 



26.660 chloride of sodium. 4.660 sulphate of soda. 

 1.232 chloride of potassium. 5.1.52 chloride of mag- 

 nesium. 1.5 sulphate of lime. 

 - Vol. X.— 10 



During the decomposition of manures, a large 

 quantiiy of ammonia is formed, but being a gase- 

 ous substance the whole passes off, and is entirely 

 lost. I(j thereiore, long manure is exposed in 

 heaps to the etiects of heat and moisture, fermen- 

 tation ensues, and tlie consequent formation of 

 ammonia, which passes off in the form of gas, 

 and nothing is left, as he inlbrms us, but "a mere 

 carbonaceous residue of decayed plants." An idea 

 of the loss eutained by manure, exposed to heat 

 and moisture, may be proved by the fact stated by 

 Liebig, "that with every pound of ammonia 

 which evaporates, a loss of sixty pounds of corn 

 (wheal) is sustained." To prevent this loss 

 Liebig recommends "that the floors of our stables, 

 flora time to lime, be strewed with coiximon gyp- 

 sum, (sulphate of lime,) the ammonia (he says) 

 enters into combination with the sulphuric acid, 

 and the carbonic acid with the lime, forming 

 compounds which are not volatile, and conse- 

 quently destitute of smell.* 



Growing plants receive large supplies of oxy- 

 gen and hydrogen (the component parts of water) 

 Irora rains and dews. They are also supplied 

 abundantly with carbon, in the form of carbonic 

 acid, by means of the absorbing power of their 

 leaves. But a full supply of nitrogen and tho 

 alkalies is likewise essential to their vigorous 

 growth. These are more sparingly supplied from 

 the atmosphere, and hence the importance of 

 additional supplies. Putrescent manures abound 

 in nitrogen, but this important element of vegeta- 

 ble (bod, during the process of putrefaction, nearly 

 all e-capes (if no measures are taken to fix it) in 

 the form ol ammonia. 



Liebig has shown, tliat this may be done by a 

 proper application of gypsum to stable manure 

 before the ferraenlating process commences.! A 

 similar application of gypsum to manure, saved 

 in feeding pens, cew yards, &c., would, no doubt, 

 have a most beneficial efiect, but it must be re- 

 membered, I hat ammonia is readily absorbed by 

 water, and consequently large portions of it may 

 be lost, where the manure is so exposed as to be- 

 come satured with that fluid. Every precaution, 

 consistently with a due regard to economy, should 

 be used to prevent this. Placing the manure 

 under sheds, and intermingling with it a due pro- 

 portion of gypsum, would be the most effectual 

 way to guard againi the loss of ammonia. But 

 in general this would be attended with too much 

 expense. The next best method ie to so place 

 the manure, preparatory to its undergoing fer- 

 mentation, as not to subject it to the drainage of 

 I he adjacent grounds, or the dripping of wafer 

 from the roots of stables, cow sheds, &c. The 

 former object can be attained by a judicious selec- 

 tion of suitable ground for (ceding yards, and by 

 cutting diiches where necessary, to carry off the 

 water. The latter may be secured by erecting 

 stables, sheds, &c., so as to have the manure 

 thrown out at the gable end, where there can be 

 no dripping from the root; Where stables or 

 sheds have been already erected upon a different 

 plan, the drippings (i'om the roof may be carried 

 oH' by leading troughs. These precautions would 

 leave the manure subject only to the effects of 

 rain falling immediately upon it. To guard 

 agains-t this, the manure should be kept in cora- 



Liebig's Organic Cliemistry, 239. t lb. 239. 



