1846.] Orange County Manures. ,35 



building up the heaps. These also should be evenly put on and 

 beaten firmly down. 



We have spoken before of the disposition generally to neglect 

 the liquid manures of the yard, and to let them entirely escape. 

 We cannot close this part of our subject without saying that of 

 all the contents of the yard, the liquids are the most important. 

 They are the direct food of plants, holding in solution all that is 

 contained in manure which can be used by vegetables as food. 

 The liquid manure of the stables, the urine of the cattle and 

 horses, is generally entirely lost. This is of vastly more value 

 than the solid excrements of the animals, and should be saved 

 with great care. Of the best method of saving it we shall speak 

 hereafter. 



Let us sum up this branch of our subject now in a few words. 

 The farm-yard is the great dependence of the Orange county far- 

 mer for the manufacture of manures. Here he must look for the 

 means to render his farm fertile, and in order to make it the most 

 sure he must waste nothing that can by any possibility be con- 

 verted into manure. All must be gathered into this spot, which 

 is the great reservoir of vegetable food. Here it must undergo 

 those preparatory processes which are necessary to bring it into a 

 state to be readily absorbed when applied to the land. In our 

 opinion there is no danger of manure being too much rotted, pro- 

 vided it is only rotted in the right way. The more nearly they 

 are reduced to that state in which the plant requires them, the 

 more powerful will be their action. It is not the slow and grad- 

 ual decomposition of manure, by which it affords a constant, but 

 at the same time scanty supply of food that makes the crop most 

 perfect and abundant, but a plentiful supply at all times, and es- 

 pecially just when the plant begins to grow, and for a little time 

 at least after it has begun. Then the full tide of vital action 

 having set in vigorously, a steady and rapid growth may be ex- 

 pected, resulting in a crop large in quantity and of excellent 

 quality. 



Let us here, before proceeding to our next head, mention one 

 source of manure, which we have passed over — that is the privy. 



